STAFF REPORT
Can’t make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras?
Celebrate it right here in Lorain County starting Thursday, Feb. 20, with special events and deals planned from Avon Lake to Oberlin.
Sponsored by the Lorain County Visitors Bureau, the fun will include Cajun and Creole food and drink specials, lodging deals, special shopping experiences and a “parade” of festive storefronts.
Think jambalaya, muffuletta, beignets, gumbo and red beans and rice, all topped off with New Orleans-style music and art.
The party will peak on Saturday, Feb. 29 with an extravaganza at Lorain County Community College’s Stocker Arts Center.
It will include a culinary food showcase, followed by the Grammy Award-winning music of Terrance Simien and the Zydeco experience. The band will fly in from the Big Easy to share its music.
Concert tickets are $10 and can be ordered by calling the Stocker Arts Box Office at 440-366-4040.
Want to make the night even better? Sample authentic Creole fare during the Final Fete culinary buffet for $25 per person, including concert ticket with preferred seating.
Northeast Ohio’s own Cats on Holiday will also bring their “swamp pop” fun to the Final Fete.
Immerse yourself in the fun and go dressed in your best Mardi Gras attire — the best costumes will win a prize. Participants will even be able to take Zydeco dance lessons.
Pick up your Mardi Gras passport at Visit Lorain County, 8025 Leavitt Rd., Amherst Township, or at any participating location.
Your passport will guide you to the special meals, deals, drinks, exhibits and performances being offered across the county. Take part in Mardi Gras deals and you’ll get a stamp and a bead necklace.
Your passport will also lead you to window displays where you’ll find a Mardi Gras-inspired code word.
Get stamps from two places in each category, complete all code words and attend the concert, and you’ll be eligible to enter a grand prize drawing.
For more information, go to www.visitloraincounty.com/mardigras.
Tickets for the Final Fete can be purchased at www.lorainccc.edu.
