Let’s face it; Mardi Gras week is the time of the year that we all, myself included, look forward to from the very second that the sun sets on the Thursday of Muses. It’s a week filled with crazy costumes, amazing parades, and memory making galore. Once it is over, many of us suffer from post-Mardi depression, which is a feeling that is all too familiar to the residents of NOLA. We spend weeks retelling stories and going through thousands of pictures and videos we took to help deal with the pain. But as many of us upperclassmen know, there is no reason to let this accredited illness consume you. There are countless exciting events happening in this crazy city to look forward to and to help get over the Mardi Gras blues.
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Buku Music and Arts Project
This year, Buku Music and Arts Project will be taking place on the weekend of March 9-10. It is one of NOLA’s most thriving music festivals and has been a reoccurring event since 2012 and has yet to fail any of its festival goers of a good time. Similar to Voodoo, Buku features live music, local art, world renowned food vendors and so much more. It offers diverse venues, art that reflects the lively culture of New Orleans, and food that ranges from breakfast to dessert. Many of the performances take place at Mardi Gras World and will give you a little hint of your Mardi Gras days. This year, the headliners include Migos, Bassnectar, SZA, Jai Wolf and so many more. This will be a weekend to remember and will be something to look forward to after your Mardi Gras ends.
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St. Patrick’s Day
NOLA Brew Bus
You thought you weren’t going to have any parades to attend until next Mardi rolls around? You thought wrong. The St. Patty’s day parade takes place on the lower end of Magazine Street and St. Charles Avenue. The parade members are prepared with green beads and paper flowers in exchange for a kiss on the hand or cheek. It is an exciting day filled with the same energy that you may find at a Mardi Gras parade. If you’re lucky you’ll leave the Irish Channel with your own cabbage (the authentic way to celebrate St. Patty’s in NOLA). Get your green clothing out of the drawers and prepare for March 17, 2018—a day filled with happiness and a pot of gold.
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New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
Making its place third on my list is another festival, no surprise there. New Orleans Jazz Fest is a two-weekend celebration of everything you love about this amazing city. Taking place this year on April 27-29 and May 3-6 at The Fair Grounds, this year’s Jazz Fest will definitely not disappoint. This festival features endless amounts of music, NOLA food staples, one of a kind art and second line parades, just to name a few. This year’s music headliners include Aerosmith, Aretha Franklin, The Sting, Jimmy Buffet, Jack White, The Revivalists, Khalid, Sheryl Crow, Jack Johnson and so many more. Along with these world-renowned headliners, there are many local bands that embrace the entirety of the musical history of New Orleans. For a full lineup, check out the Jazz Fest websites and prepare for the only kind of blues you should feel in NOLA.
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Crawfest
Tulane University This Tulane born festival takes place right here on our beautiful campus. This year Crawfest will be occurring on April 21, 2018 from 11:00am-7:00pm. It is a day filled with music and more crawfish than you can imagine. This is one of the most fun-filled Saturdays on Tulane’s campus and is one that will remain in your memory forever. Crawfest is a free event for students and brings in many locals as well. It is a weekend to look forward to and one that will definitely cure the Mardi blues.
I hope that this article helps cure your post-Mardi blues and reminds you of all the exciting events happening around NOLA this spring. These events are only a taste of the many ways in which New Orleans has us constantly creating excuses to celebrate. Laissez les bons temps rouler and keep that Mardi Gras spirit alive!
COVER GRAPHIC: Emery Gluck
