Celebrate Mardi Gras in Pensacola

Spanish conquistadors, mermaids, pink-haired women and African kings are just some of the characters you'll find here during Mardi Gras. Festivities are as colorful and diverse as Pensacola's 450-year heritage. Catch throws such as colorful beads, marshmallowy moonpies, stuffed animals and commemorative coins from floats representing pirate ships, sunken aircraft carriers and spaceships. Mild temperatures and great lodging rates make a weekend getaway even more enticing.

Pensacola Mardi Gras Trivia

• The first Mardi Gras celebration in Pensacola was in 1874.
• The colors of Mardi Gras are purple for justice, green for faith and gold for power.
• Mardi Gras literally means Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday that begins the Lenten season.
• Mardi Gras is celebrated primarily along the Gulf Coast of the United States.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Celebrate the long weekend by exploring our African-American heritage. African-Americans were among the Spanish fleet who founded Pensacola in 1559 and have played a vital role in U.S. history. Walk in one of the only cemeteries in the country where slaves and nobility are buried side by side. Visit a colonial home that a free black woman owned in 1804. Honor a fallen African-American war hero along the shores of a pristine beach in his name. Gather around Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza on Palafox Street for the annual parade on Monday, Jan. 19.

Stick to Your Resolutions

Healthy eaters can get their fill with fresh produce and Gulf seafood at acclaimed restaurants and local markets. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are good for the heart and alleviate aches and pains. Visitors can also walk off the holiday pounds along the area's 52 miles of beaches or bicycle along a variety of scenic trails. The gorgeous views are so inspiring, it doesn't even feel like exercising. If racing is your thing, be sure to mark your calendar for our upcoming events, from fun runs to full marathons.