Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl: December 2017

Friday, December 29, 2017

New Year's Eve - The Perfect Mardi Gras Party Practice

New Year's Eve will be here in a couple of days, and it's the perfect opportunity to get some practice in for the 2018 Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl! We've shared a few things below that you are probably enjoying this weekend that are very similar to what you'll be doing at the biggest party at the Lake of the Ozarks on Saturday, February 17, 2018.

Bar Parties with Live Music
Many lake area bars are hosting incredible New Year's Eve parties with bands or DJs rocking everyone into 2018. Wherever you are spending the holiday, you'll be able to find fun parties just like the ones being thrown around here.

The biggest difference is that on New Year's Eve, you'll most likely pick one place with one band and stay there all night long. When you join us for the Mardi Gras Pub Crawl, our busses will be taking you to multiple bars and restaurants throughout the event with a different incredible musician performing at each one! New Year's Eve will be a nice warm-up, but when you get to the pub crawl, be ready to party harder than you've ever partied before!

Don't Drink and Drive
This is an important statement, no matter what day of the year it is. For New Year's Eve, you'll need to plan to "stay where you play," so that you don't have to get in the car at the end of the night if you're planning to drink. A couple of other options are to bring along a friend that you trust to stay sober, or arrange to either call a cab, uber, or rent a driver for the evening.

Not the case at our pub crawl in February! You can still do all of those things if you like, but they aren't necessary because transportation for the evening is included with the $10 wristband that will get you into all of the bars and restaurants participating in the crawl. As a matter of fact, if you stay at one of the hotels along the pub crawl route (check our website for an updated list,) the pub crawl busses will even pick you up and drop you off there!

Creative Cocktails
New Year's Eve is a time to raise a glass and toast the things that happened in the past year as well as your expectations for the coming year. (Be sure to raise a glass to the amazing time you'll be having at our 2018 Mardi Gras Pub Crawl!) The preferred drink of choice, at least at midnight, is usually champagne.

Mardi Gras has quite a few delicious cocktails associated with it, the most famous probably being the classic Hurricane. This delicious on-the-rocks rum drink is fairly similar to the frozen Rum Runner that is extremely popular around the lake area during the summer. No matter what your favorite beverage is, you'll be able to order it from the incredible bartenders at each of the stops on the Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl.

While you're out enjoying your end-of-the-year celebration this weekend, keep in mind how exciting it's going to be in less than a couple of months when you're at the Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl! Get the date - Saturday, February 17 - on your new 2018 calendar right away, and then start making plans to be here for another year of pub crawling fun!

TEXT "LakePubCrawl" to 71441 for updates about

the Lake of the Ozarks Pub Crawl

To keep up with the latest news:

If you need additional information, contact us at info@lakepubcrawl.com

Thursday, December 21, 2017

The Stories Behind 5 Popular Mardi Gras Traditions

When someone mentions Mardi Gras, there are certain things that immediately come to mind. This flamboyant holiday is filled with familiar symbols and traditions. (Hopefully for you, one of those traditions is attending the Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl!) Here's a closer look at some of the things that are always present in New Orleans for Mardi Gras, and you're very likely to see when you take part in Missouri's largest pub crawl.

First of all, we need to explain what a "Krewe" is because this keeps popping up in our research. A Krewe is an organization that is responsible for creating the parties and parades happening for Mardi Gras in New Orleans. It is made up of several members and a captain, and these people work throughout the year in secret preparing for the big celebration. There are many Krewes around today, but the Rex Krewe dates all the way back to the 1800's. They seem to be involved in the creation of many Mardi Gras traditions.

Purple, Green, and Gold
Rex is credited with making these particular colors symbols of Mardi Gras. During the first Rex parade in 1872, the King of the Carnival proclaimed that all balconies should be draped in purple, green, and gold. Rex founders believed that "a king must have a kingdom, and a kingdom needs a flag." Due to the fact that many country's flags used three colors, that's the amount they decided to choose.

"Heraldry" states that both metals and colors were needed, and rules that determine a coat of arms say that only 5 colors are acceptable: red, blue, purple, green, and black. Purple and gold are both royal colors fit for a king, and our best guess about the green is that they just liked the way it all looked together. The Rex parade of 1892 had the theme "Symbolism of Colors," and this is when the Mardi Gras colors were assigned their meanings.

Purple = Justice
Green = Faith
Gold = Power

Beads
Beads are the most popular thing thrown for Mardi Gras across the country, but in New Orleans, a wide variety of things are thrown from parade floats in addition to beads. Small trinkets such as stuffed animals, small toys, doubloons, and plastic cups (aka New Orleans dinnerware!) are all used. We didn't really find a reason for these throws other than that's what you do when you're on a parade float! "Flashing" for these throws is NOT considered tradition in New Orleans, but when inhibitions are lowered and people want to draw attention to get beads, it's just something that seems to happen.

Doubloons
These 2-sided throws have become collector's items in New Orleans. In 1884, Rex began throwing medallions instead of trinkets. Those medallions are represented by doubloons today. One Krewe in the mid-1900's began having doubloons made that featured their emblem and founding date on one side and the current year and parade theme on the other. Now, most Krewes have their own doubloons made to throw but be warned, these are so popular and sought-after, you could get your hands trampled trying to pick them up off of the street! (Maybe we should start making these each year for the Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl featuring the bars in place of Krewes!)

King Cake
A King Cake is an oval-shaped coffee cake, braided and covered in icing with purple, green, and gold sugar. Many bakeries now add fillings to these cakes like cream cheese, nuts, and fruit. The one thing that must always be inside of a King Cake is a small toy baby. The person that receives the piece of cake containing that baby is automatically the one that has to provide the next King Cake.

This tradition represents the belief that according to Christian faith, baby Jesus first showed himself to the three wise men and the world on January 6th. That is the date that Mardi Gras, aka King Cake season, begins.

Masks
Mardi Gras masks add an element of mystery and intrigue to the celebration. Originally, wearing a mask during this holiday allowed a person to let their guard down and feel free to have a good time. This allowed different classes of society to mingle with each other. Today it is a fun and beautiful tradition that still allows a person to feel like they can be a bit more free to act out more than usual, providing a sense of anonymity. Float riders in New Orleans are actually required to wear masks, not because of tradition, but because it's a law!

There's a little peek into why some of the things you see and do for Mardi Gras exist. Now, which of these things will you incorporate into your own 2018 Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras experience? It's not too early to start planning. The biggest party at the Lake of the Ozarks will happen on Saturday, February 17, 2018. We can't wait to see all of you there in your finest purple, green, and gold!

TEXT "LakePubCrawl" to 71441 for updates about

the Lake of the Ozarks Pub Crawl

To keep up with the latest news:

If you need additional information, contact us at info@lakepubcrawl.com

Thursday, December 14, 2017

Great Gift Ideas For Your Mardi Gras Pub Crawl Pals

Since Mardi Gras is still a couple of months away and Christmas is only a couple of weeks away, everyone is talking about what types of gift ideas that they can give to the people on their list. Well, most likely many of the friends on your list are also people that you would like to join you at the best Mardi Gras party in Missouri. For that reason, our Mardi Gras Pub Crawl at the Lake of the Ozarks team came up with a few gift ideas for you to encourage those people to make plans now to be here next February 17, 2018.

Gift Cards
There are already 13 incredible bars & restaurants scheduled as stops for the pub crawl this year. Your $10 wristband gets you on the bus that will take you to all of them, so a gift card to any (or all) of those places would be a wonderful thing to give to someone as a gift. If you guys simply can't wait until February, you could even use the gift cards early to stake out where your favorite stops will be.

Hotel Reservations
If you go ahead and book a room for them, they'll simply have to come! You can find a list of the many places to stay for the Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl on our website. Some are on the bus route and you can be picked up and dropped off right at their door, and there are more that are located off-route but will be shuttling pub crawlers to and from the event. Be sure to ask about special Mardis Gras Pub Crawl rates when you call to make the reservation.

Beads
Not only a needed item for the pub crawl, but also a very colorful and fun gift to give! Gather a bunch of cool beads (or simply re-gift that pile you have left over from last year) and put them into a box or gift bag. It will make for one heavy present that they'll be anxious to dig into.

Masks
Mardi Gras masks are a tradition, plus it's a lot easier to have some uninhibited fun when you're wearing one! You'll want to find something unique and impressive that will really stand out in a crowd. Keep comfort in mind too though. They'll want to be able to wear it for the entire event, which begins at 4:00 pm and doesn't end until the bars close. (Unless you're set to after-party, which means it could last much longer!)

Matching Outfits
Pick out some matching shirts or jackets for your entire group to wear. It's a great way to keep track of each other throughout the event, plus it's a wonderful way to draw attention and possibly get more beads from the other pub crawlers! Use funny sayings like "We like big BEADS and we cannot lie!" "Cajun Drinking Team" or "Show me the beads (and maybe I'll show you mine!)" Of course, you could also all wear last year's official Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl shirts until you get here, and then pick up the 2018 version before you go out for the night.

When your friends open these gifts over the holidays, it will immediately get them in the mood to start planning a Mardi Gras weekend at the biggest party at the Lake of the Ozarks. Mark Saturday, February 17, 2018, on your calendars, sign up for text alerts, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+, and share all of our updates with everyone that you know. Have a great holiday season now, and get ready to have amazing Mardi Gras with us in just a couple of months.

TEXT "LakePubCrawl" to 71441 for updates about

the Lake of the Ozarks Pub Crawl

To keep up with the latest news:

If you need additional information, contact us at info@lakepubcrawl.com

Thursday, December 7, 2017

SAVE THE DATE & Don't Miss Mardi Gras 2018 at the Lake of the Ozarks!

Most people have Christmas and New Year's Eve on their minds this time of year, but you've surely got a moment to spare to mark a very important date down on your calendar - The Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl! Some of the details are still being ironed out, but we've got the date set:

Saturday, February 17, 2018.

A little preparation now will guarantee that you don't miss the biggest pub crawl in mid-Missouri next February.

The Best Lake Area Bars

Every year, the best bars and restaurants jump on board to be a part of this amazing Mardi Gras celebration at the Lake of the Ozarks. There is still time for more places to be added, but so far the following stops are scheduled to be a part of this always-exciting event.

Wobbly Boots Roadhouse
Wicked Willie's Sports Grill
Tucker's Shuckers
Arris Pizza
Mexicali Blues
JJ Twigs
Tirebiters
Chevy's
Li'l Rizzo's
SNAFU
Vista Grande
Inn at Grand Glaize
Lucky's

A Safe Ride All Night
The purchase of a $10 Mardi Gras Pub Crawl wristband not only gets you into all of the participating bars & restaurants, but it also allows you to ride the buses safely to each stop all night long. They run from 4:00 pm until 2:30 am to make sure you get back to where you are staying at the end of the evening. The majority of the buses will hit every stop in order, but we also have a few express buses running a shorter route in case you need to get to the other side a little more quickly.

Amazing Live Music

Each and every stop on the Mardi Gras Pub Crawl route will host some of the best live music at the Lake of the Ozarks. You are in store for an evening full of amazing live bands and incredible DJs playing all the best music to keep you on the dance floor all night long.

How To Stay Informed

We'll be sure to let you know as soon as new information is available about the 2018 Lake of the Ozarks Mardi Gras Pub Crawl. In addition to watching our website, you can follow along with us on your favorite social media channels (linked below,) or you can text "LakePubCrawl" to 71441 to get updates sent directly to your phone.

Save the date on your calendar now, and make sure to let all of your friends know to do the same! No one wants to miss the best party at the Lake of the Ozarks. (It wouldn't be the same without you!)

TEXT "LakePubCrawl" to 71441 for updates about

the Lake of the Ozarks Pub Crawl

To keep up with the latest news:

If you need additional information, contact us at info@lakepubcrawl.com