Fat Tuesday arrives today, and Austin bars, beer gardens, and restaurants are celebrating with crawfish boils, brass bands, and king cake. Expect crawfish by the pound alongside hurricanes and Cajun comfort food, bringing a taste of Louisiana’s Carnival traditions to Austin. The festivities continue into the weekend with crawfish boils, gumbo cook-offs, and outdoor parties.

Here are some of the most enticing Fat Tuesday events in Austin.

February 17

Fat Tuesday Crawfish Boil at Scholz Garten
1607 San Jacinto Blvd., 3-8 pm
Scholz Garten hosts its annual Fat Tuesday crawfish boil starting at 3 pm, serving crawfish by the pound alongside po’boys, gumbo, red beans and rice, and king cake. Live music runs throughout the afternoon with Charles Thibodeaux & The Austin Cajun Aces (3–5 pm) followed by the Urban Achievers Brass Band (5–7 pm), bringing traditional Cajun and brass sounds to the historic biergarten.

Mardi Gras Celebration ft. Yes Ma’am Brass Band at Hotel Vegas & the Volstead Lounge
1502 E. Sixth St.
Hotel Vegas celebrates Fat Tuesday with live brass from Yes Ma’am Brass Band, plus DJs and Mardi Gras drink specials across its outdoor patio and indoor stages. The East Austin venue transforms into a backyard Mardi Gras party with dancing, king cake, and festive crowds throughout the evening, plus a prize for the person who finds the King Cake Baby.

The Yes Ma'am Brass Band is a regular performer at Hotel Vegas.

Fat Tuesday Celebration at Shoal Creek Saloon
909 N. Lamar Blvd.
This longtime Louisiana-themed bar marks Fat Tuesday with Cajun food specials, a special shrimp platter, and a Hurricane drink special. Known as a gathering place for Saints fans and Gulf Coast transplants, Shoal Creek Saloon delivers one of Austin’s most authentic Mardi Gras atmosphere. The party is from open to close, 11 am to 10 pm.

Fat Tuesday at Lil’ Easy
5000 E. Cesar Chavez St.
The Fat Tuesday party kicks off with a crawfish boil at 4 pm. Happy hour is from 4-6 pm, with live music from the Numbers Brass Band starting at 5 pm. The restaurant also sells king cakes, by the slice or the full cake.

Fat Tuesday crawfish boil at Armadillo Den
10106 Menchaca Rd.
Armadillo Den hosts a Fat Tuesday crawfish boil with Let’z Geaux Boil, starting at 4 pm. The Louisiana Surf Department is scheduled to play from 6:30-9:30 pm. Families are welcome and parking is limited, so rideshare is encouraged.

Ivar’s River Pub
701 Cheatham St., San Marcos
Located along the San Marcos River, Ivar’s River Pub hosts a traditional crawfish boil complete with corn, sausage, and potatoes. Gumbeaux Man will be selling and serving crawfish for Fat Tuesday, with crawfish sold in 1, 3, and 5-pound bags. The crawfish comes with corn and potatoes.

Gumbeaux Man will be at Ivar's River Pub to dish out crawfish for Fat Tuesday.Photo courtesy of Gumbeaux Man/Facebook

Fat Tuesday Crawfish Boil
The League Kitchen & Tavern
12700 Hill Country Blvd., Bee Cave
The League Kitchen & Tavern in the Hill Country Galleria serves crawfish by the pound alongside hurricane drink specials on Fat Tuesday. DJ Diggy will be performing at the Hill Country Galleria location from 4-6 pm

More over the weekend

Pardi Gras Celebration at Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden
79 Rainey St., Friday through Sunday, February 20-22
Banger's turns Fat Tuesday into a weekend event, 11 am to 11 pm, with live brass bands, Cajun food specials, and themed drinks across its massive beer garden. Rainey Street's biggest bar promises beignets, boudin, gumbo, po’ boys, and muffulettas, along with bourbon- and rum-barrel-aged beers. Plus beads and more beads — enough, they promise, to make you feel like you're in Louisiana.

Gumbo Cook-Off at South Austin Beer Garden
10700 Menchaca Rd., Sunday, February 22, 3-6 pm
South Austin Beer Garden hosts a gumbo cookoff inviting local cooks to compete for bragging rights, prizes, and best gumbo honors. "Whether it’s classic Cajun, Creole, chicken & sausage, seafood, or something totally off-script — if it slaps, we want it," according to the entry form. Entry is free but teams must register. Guests can sample entries while enjoying drinks and live music on the outdoor patio.

Seasonal Crawfish Boils at Little Woodrow's Southpark Meadows
Southpark Meadows, 9500 S. Interstate 35 Frontage Rd., Sunday, February 22
Little Woodrow’s kicks off crawfish season with regular patio crawfish boils paired with cold beer and outdoor music. Crawfish boils are different for each location -- check the calendar -- but Southpark kicks off on Sunday, with Red Claw Crawfish Supply providing the mudbugs and Gumbo Ya Ya on the guitar

Where to eat Cajun food in Austin

Austin’s Cajun scene stretches across the city, from longtime South Austin institutions to newer East Side arrivals. In South Austin near Brodie Lane, Evangeline Cafe has built a loyal following for its stuffed pork chops, crawfish étouffée, and nightly live music in a relaxed setting. Southwest Austin’s Cypress Grill offers neighborhood-friendly Cajun staples like gumbo, shrimp and grits, and po’boys, while East Austin’s Uptown Sports Club brings Gulf Coast oysters, po’boys, and rich gumbo to East Sixth Street. Nearby on Manor Road, Vic & Al’s leans into Creole flavors with rotating specials and classic cocktails, and Haymaker adds gumbo and Cajun comfort food to its craft beer lineup. Downtown’s Shoal Creek Saloon rounds out the list as one of Austin’s most authentic Louisiana-style hangouts, especially during crawfish season.

Where to get king cake in Austin

King cake season peaks around Fat Tuesday, and Austin bakeries and Cajun markets keep the tradition alive across the city. Easy Tiger, with locations downtown, on South Lamar, and in North Austin, offers traditional brioche-style king cakes topped with Mardi Gras sprinkles. In Hyde Park and South Austin, Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop prepares festive versions filled with praline pecan or cream cheese, while Stuffed Cajun Meat Market in North Austin specializes in authentic New Orleans-style king cakes in a range of flavors. East Austin’s Lil’ Easy also carries traditional king cake during Mardi Gras season, making it easy to pair dessert with a hurricane or po’boy. Most bakeries offer cakes through Fat Tuesday and into the following weekend, though popular flavors tend to sell out early.