Mardi Gras in the Mountains: Red River, New Mexico

No one knows for sure how Mardi Gras came to the Mountains. One myth has it that a gold prospector from Louisiana made his way to the Red River Valley just before the turn of the 20th century. Unaccustomed to being confined to the indoors for the winter, the miner found some much needed relief from cabin fever by introducing Mardi Gras to his fellow miners. Legend has it that the dance halls of Red River City were soon jumping with the sounds of squeezebox and Cajun fiddle. At least that's the way one story goes. But for sure...

Mardi Gras is such a big event in Louisiana, that schools are closed for the week, giving Louisiana families a late winter or early spring vacation. Over the years, more and more Louisiana folks have chosen to spend the week before Mardi Gras enjoying a ski holiday in Red River. In 1992, Red River decided to honor their visitors from Louisiana by throwing them their own Mardi Gras-Away-From-Home. And those folks from the Delta couldn't have picked a better mountain town to throw them a Mardi Gras celebration, because Red River is a town that knows how to party!

Today, Red River’s "Mardi Gras in the Mountains" is a six-day celebration with over 50 events inspired by the Louisiana Cajun traditions, ending on the official day of Mardi Gras. It’s a fun time for locals and visitors alike. Often, Spring Break will overlap Mardi Gras as well, making for an extra special vacation for all...but it’s cold in Red River, and there are lots of small fry about, so there’s a nix on begging for beads while topless. Luckily, there’s plenty of the shiny treasures to go around.

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