Mardi Gras at the Wynwood Yard Brought a Taste of New Orleans to Miami

The New Tropic partnered up with the Wynwood Yard to bring a taste of Fat Tuesday to Miami last night. No more fear of missing out on all the Mardi Gras fun happening in New Orleans. “We don’t have a lot of celebrations of Mardi Gras in Miami, so it’s nice to have something,” said event producer Paula Echevarría Zamora. “I lived in New Orleans for many years and it was all about the food, the people, and being outside with music. I miss it every day.”

Despite having big shoes to fill when compared to the mega fest on Bourbon Street, The Wynwood Yard was up to the challenge. The location proved to be a perfect setting for the festivities with its wide-open space, hanging tea lights, pop-up tents, and various food trucks serving up international fare. There were also some pretty damn tasty beignets and coffee by Mad Chiller that would rival those from Café Du Monde.

And while the crawfish boil didn't last all night as advertised, those who got there early seemed to enjoy the messy, spicy, and close-to-authentic taste of the Big Easy.

Mardi Gras wouldn't be the same without booze, and there was plenty of it from Abita Brewing Company and Sazeracs, plus Bourbon by Thyme Bar, a pop-up bar and garden from Little River Cooperative. The special cocktail of the night, Who Dat, consisted of bourbon, orange juice, lemon balm, lemon juice, and soda water — it gave some much-needed heat to the chilly night.

But perhaps the real highlight of the evening was the live music curated by the Prism Music Group featuring Bad Apples Brass Band, as well as Roosevelt Collier’s Big Funk Nasty Getdown featuring members of the Spam Allstars, Suénalo, Aaron Lebos Reality, JUke, Electric Kif, Leeboys, and others.

Lots of brass, lots of dancing, and lots of feels. There weren’t beads being flung from floats, and the party didn’t last until 6 a.m., but Miami lent its own tropical flair to the eve.