Vermont’s Magic Hat Mardi Gras Set To Bring Winter To a Boil

Burlington, VT, October 15^th, 2009 ― It’s the big event that draws tens of thousands of revelers to the shores of Lake Champlain and the record-setting celebration that Party Across America, About.com, The Boston Herald and others have declared one of New England’s best winter travel destinations. The Magic Hat Mardi Gras is coming, and with it arrives not just one of the grandest Carnivale celebrations east of the Mississippi, but the perfect chance to savor the countless pleasures of Vermont’s largest city, ski the East’s most thrilling peaks and bust up winter’s doldrums with three unforgettably jazzed-up days of charity, glittering beads, parading spectacles and more.

A Great Jambalaya of Music, Mirth & Moon Pies

The Magic Hat Mardi Gras Weekend cooks up plenty of delicious diversions for amusement-starved travelers. From February 26-28, the clubs, cafes, bars and bistros of Burlington will throw open their doors and thaw all brands of cabin fever with a delectable gumbo of mojo-moving music, delectable Cajun and Creole eats and Big Easy drinks on tap. On the city’s downtown pedestrian mall, a pageant of entertaining sights and incredible sounds will warm the eyes and melt the ears. In the middle of it all, a grand pageant of over 30 fantastically festooned floats will parade through the streets tossing beads, treats and trinkets to the assembled throngs in one of New England’s most extraordinary winter traditions.

Grand Fun For a Great Cause

The three-day extravaganza is a fundraiser in glittering disguise for northern Vermont’s Women’s Rape Crisis Center. Over the last decade, the event has raised over $100,000 for the organization’s critical work and last year alone generated more than $20,000. It’s a weekend of good ju-ju for everyone and all are urged to gather their krewes and come out to the fais do do that turns the Queen City into the Crescent City!

Drink In the Best of Vermont & Soak Up Its Spectacular Scenery

 From Friday night’s opening Concert Ball at The Higher Ground music venue to Sunday’s tours and tastings at America’s most unusual brewery, the Magic Hat Artifactory, Vermont’s Mardi Gras celebration quenches each and every individual thirst for personal merriment with a vast tonic of tomfoolery. In-between all these official shenanigans, festival-goers can shop Burlington’s eclectic mix of one-of-a-kind boutiques, visit legendary attractions like Ben & Jerry’s, Lake Champlain Chocolates and the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, hit nearby slopes and enjoy the region’s most beautiful resorts—all within an easy drive of the parade route.

For the full scoop on the Magic Hat Mardi Gras Weekend, including special room rates and other useful tips, go to WWW.MAGICHAT.NET/MARDIGRAS

The Magic Hat Mardi Gras Weekend is a citywide event made possible by generous underwriting support from Jet Blue Airways and Ben and Jerry’s with additional help from presenting sponsors: Seven Days, WIZN and The Buzz.

Magic Hat Brewing Company and Performing Arts Center, creators of #9®, Circus Boy®, Lucky Kat®, four seasonal offerings and a revolving roster of Odd Notions supports the arts community and reminds you that safe sex is great sex. “Get tested, Get a condom, Get it ON!”