Mardi Gras Around the World

Visit Belgium and its heavenly beer during Mardi Gras and you'll get to see one town go berserk. In Binche, the festivities include hundreds of masked men dressed as "Gilles" parading through the streets before throwing bushels of blood oranges at the crowd. (Luckily, there are plenty of beer tents on hand to serve as tossed-orange triage centers.)

Barranquilla's Carnival (Mardi Gras) may not be as famous as its South American cousin's in Rio, but it's just as fun. Thousands take to the streets of this coastal city each year in a riot of colorful costumes and rhythms that will redefine your definition of revelry. After the sun-soaked parades, spend your night partying with the locals.

Mobile's celebrations are famous throughout the Gulf, but the tales of this pre-Lenten party have mostly stayed under-the-radar nationally. Mobile's floats and fiestas give Mardi Gras in New Orleans a run for its money, and they even own small bragging rights over the Big Easy since Mobile was the site of the country's first-ever Mardi Gras festivities.

Nice knows how to do Mardi Gras. Here on the palm-fringed French Riviera, they throw a two-week-long party highlighted by vibrant parades. The main procession features papier mache giants called grosses tetes (big heads) while the enchanting Flower Parade features glamorous float-riders who toss thousands of colorful blooms to the crowds below.

The hottest date of this island nation's social calendar; the secret still hasn't fully gotten out about Carnival in Trinidad & Tobago. Seemingly everyone in the country comes out to dance to the sounds of soca music on Monday and Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday and you are more than welcome to join in.

Towns and villages all over this gorgeous archipelago make an effort for Mardi Gras, but the largest festivities take place in sizzling Santa Cruz. Here, flamboyant parades kickstart nights full of spontaneous street parties that last until sunrise. It all comes to a colorful crescendo on Fat Tuesday, when a giant papier mache sardine is burned to symbolize the end of the fun.

St. Louis is known for having unique signature food, but the locals mostly stick to the drinks during Mardi Gras. Most of the action takes place in the French-settled Soulard neighborhood on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday. The area turns into one big street party and, if don't get your fill, you can always just stop by the Anheuser-Busch brewery located just a stone's throw away.

Romantic Venice and its Eyes Wide Shut-esque masked balls may get all the press, but Viareggio also brings boatloads of Carnival fun to Italy. This town on the Tuscan coast turns into a cornucopia of color each year during Mardi Gras. Come for the fanciful floats and stay for the after-hours neighborhood soirees.

There's been plenty of buzz about the beach resorts of Texas lately, so why not combine a trip to the beach with some bead-throwing? Galveston puts on a Texas-sized seasonal party on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico each year with a party roster that features concerts, zany parades-a funky umbrella parade and a goofy golf cart procession being two examples-and thousands of airborne beads.

We already know that the Florida Panhandle is one of the most underrated destinations in America, but did you know there's also a major Mardi Gras party here, too? Yes, Pensacola throws a bash each and every year on its historic streets and it takes pride in being fun for entire family.

While there's so much more to New Orleans than Mardi Gras, no discussion of the holiday would be complete without a mention of NOLA. The biggest and best bash in the USA, The Big Easy is home to scintillating parades, elegant balls and plenty of street merriment-all served with a side dish of some of the best food in the world.