Mardi Gras, as celebrated in the United States, is a Creole American tradition influenced by African, Afro-Caribbean, Indigenous, French, and Spanish cultures. It features feasts along with masked celebrations with music and dancing, and remains one of the country’s most recognizable cultural experiences. On Fat Tuesday, February 17, 2026, The Parish brings that spree of feasting and jubilation to Tucson, with its Annual Mardi Gras Festival, running from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.
For nearly 15 years, The Parish has produced a festival that has grown into one of Tucson’s and Arizona’s most anticipated culinary and music events, featuring the Cajun Mardi Gras tradition of an alligator roast: six 25-pound reptiles will be cooked, a practice tracing its origins to centuries-old bayou and Indigenous cultures. The menu also features additional heritage dishes, including a crawfish boil, jambalaya, Cajun sampler plates with gumbo, crawfish étouffée, and red beans and rice, along with king cake, Hurricanes, and live music on two stages throughout the day.
