A party where beads and dignity are yours to keep.

Second in size to New Orleans, this family-friendly event has a local feel, but it’s still a big time celebration. Lake Charles is about a three-hour drive from New Orleans, in southwest Louisiana’s Calcasieu (pronounced Cal-ka-shoo) Parish. Visit here any time of year and you’ll find riverboat gaming (area residents don’t like the word gambling), an evocative nature preserve, historic homes and plenty of fabulous food. Visit here in March and you’ll see this smallish city throw a really, really big party: The Lake Charles Mardi Gras.

Compared to the bawdy, boisterous and more famous fete in New Orleans, this Mardi Gras is AOK for kids. But that doesn’t mean it’s laid back. The string of events leading up to Mardi Gras Day (aka Fat Tuesday) are floatloads of fun for revelers of all ages—and many of the events are specifically created for kids.

Mardi Gras Backstory
How does it all happen? It starts with the krewes. These local clubs or civic groups range from 50 members to a few hundred with a common thread that binds them together: a shared family history, marital status, similar backgrounds, shared interests or ages.

With names like the Krewe du Sauvage, Krewe de Classique and Krewe of Chaos, each one lends its particular poetry to the celebrations. Lake Charles has over 50 active krewes—and every year, they choose a theme and go from there creating a razzle-dazzle show, a formal ball and a float. The appointed King, Queen and Court wear incredibly elaborate feathered, sequined, appliquéd costumes, trains and back pieces (known as mantles) that often weigh up to 65 pounds.

The Royal Gala
The biggest bargain in town is the Royal Gala the night before Fat Tuesday. In other parts of Louisiana, non-krewe members would have to be invited to each krewe’s ball to see the royal court in their full regalia (for the parades, the costumes are scaled down).

Here, at just $6 a ticket, you can settle in as the kings, queens, royal dukes and duchesses, captains, courtesans and jesters of all 50 krewes have their moment in the limelight. There’s food for sale or you can bring your own—and children under five are free. Dress is casual, kids can sit on the floor to get close and photography is not only allowed, it’s welcomed.

Throw Me Something, Mister!
That’s the phrase heard over and over again at the parades as the fabulous floats disperse their prizes, locally known as throws: necklaces, plain and fancy, doubloons and cups to catch the booty.

Throughout Mardi Gras week, there are lots of different parades, all fun and fine for families: The Merchant’s Parade, The Krewe of Barkus Parade for pets, the Children’s Parade and the main event on Fat Tuesday, The Krewe of Krewes Parade when each and every group rolls by on a float.

The inside of each float is studded with deep hooks hung with lengths and lengths of bright, shiny Mardi Gras beads. Each float must be stocked with enough throws to last the entire route of the parade so no one goes home empty handed.

On the warm, sunny afternoon of the Children’s Parade, spectators were lined six or seven deep. Once the floats began to roll, children wildly waved their arms in avid pursuit of the throws. Parents held their babies with one arm while catching beads with the other. Older kids pleaded for the most special throws, trying hard to make eye contact with someone on a float in hopes of a dedicated toss. Styling teenagers danced to the music on the passing floats, using their cool to attract special attention—and maybe a coveted string of keepsake beads. Before too long, the most talented catchers had thick layers of beads around their necks, but still they wanted more.

Fat Tuesday Arrives
Two days later on Mardi Gras day, rain threatened to douse the grand finale: the Krewe of Krewes’ ­Parade. Beginning at daybreak, local newscasters were on the scene reporting on the likelihood of rain. Between squalls, block parties were in full swing throughout the downtown, keeping the crowds busy till parade time.

One of the liveliest spots was the Family Friendly Zone where a big afternoon block party welcomed children and their parents to a tobacco- and ­alcohol-free area called Mardi Gras in the Zone. Games, inflatables, live music and free food added to the fun. As the day progressed, the rain held off and at dusk, the floats began to roll.

Soon the milky skies and humid air was filled ­Zydeco music and beads flying everywhere. Bleachers lined the streets, but the crowd was fluid, moving from sitting and watching to standing on the sidelines or running alongside the floats, begging and waving for throws.

Alligators, Egrets and Soulful Skies
Lake Charles offers a lot more than a good party. Not far outside of town, the Creole Nature Trail beckons. The day we visited was cool and calm. There aren’t many visitors in March, so when several American Alligators were spotted, only a few people were there to creep along the creek for a closer look. The alligators obliged, staying eerily still for photos before scurrying back into the water. The seabirds had the run of the place and the bare trees and small shacks had a poignant feel in their lonely setting. At the Cameron Prairie Visitor Center, an engaging presentation featuring life-like talking mannequins, made local history fun.

Better yet, stop at the Convention & Visitors ­Bureau and rent the GPS Ranger Handheld Unit for your visit. This ingenious device determines your trail location while playing timely video about the points of interest as you reach them. You’ll learn about wildlife, history and where to go for guided nature walks—even the best locations for crabbing and shelling.

Beignets, Crawfish Boils & More
The beignets in New Orleans don’t come close to the heavenly version fresh out of the oven at the aptly named Delicious Donuts and Bakery. Stop into this tiny bakery for sublime glazed donuts, too, along with 20 varieties of King Cake, the seasonal cinnamon-y confection of Mardi Gras. (Like the revelers, the cakes are decorated with beads and doubloons.)

For down home Cajun fare, follow the crowds to Steamboat Bills where the wait staff smacks down huge trays of boiled crawfish, rich creamy etouffees and local specialties like pistolettes—yummy fried rolls filled with crawfish or shrimp. Just be prepared for the lines.

DeAngelo’s looks like a casual pizzeria, but it’s a lot more than that. Kids will be more than happy with the pizza menu, but well-crafted pastas, salads, soups and desserts (plus a creative cocktail list) will keep parents happy, too.

If you’d like a little elegance with your Mardi Gras, head for The Ember Grille & Wine Bar. The décor is luxe, but it’s comfy and spacious, so well-behaved kids are welcome. And the succulent Lamb Lollipops are sized right for little gourmets. Famous for Kobe beef and spectacular seafood, the Ember Grills has a dessert that’s sure to live on in your dreams: Sweet Potato Pancake Fritters with Salted Maple Walnut Ice Cream. Wow. 

Leslie Long is a New York–based travel writer and photographer. Although she loves where she lives, nothing thrills her more than heading out of town—whether it’s a weekend at the beach or halfway around the world. Her articles have appeared in The New York Post, Time Out Kids New York, Westchester Magazine and Travelmuse.com.