DMaRdi Gras Festivities – a Taste of New Orleans at 9,000 Feet! Durango, Colo.  

Don your best Mardi Gras costume and celebrate Carnival at Durango Mountain Resort. Cajun cuisine, drink specials, snow sculptures, bead tosses and more will be featured throughout the weekend of March 5th and 6th, culminating on Fat Tuesday, March 8th. The events and activities are designed for all ages, making it a festive weekend with family and friends. 

Mardi Gras-themed snow sculptures will be displayed in the Purgatory Village Plaza by award-winning ice and snow sculpting artist, Keith Martin. Martin, a Durango resident, has won multiple medals for his sculpting abilities and has traveled the world showcasing his artistic skills. Some of the tools Martin uses to sculpt his creations include hand-made tools, a chainsaw, floor scrapers with razor blades and a currycomb, typically used to brush horses. For the DMaRdi Gras festivities, Martin is carving a jester and a second Carnival-themed character as well as a snow bench, creating interactive works of art that guests can experience and even take home with them as they snap a photo or two of their family and friends with the incredible sculptures as a backdrop.    

Savor tastes of New Orleans as Purgatory Village restaurants serve up Cajun cuisine all weekend long and through Fat Tuesday. Gumbo Pizza and Hurricane drink specials will be featured at Creekside Italian Kitchen and Creole lunch specials, including red beans and rice, chicken and sausage jambalaya and chicken and sausage gumbo, as well as Hurricane cocktails will be served at Purgy’s Restaurant.  

The Bear Bar will also be offering a crawfish boil and King Cake on Sunday, March 6th.  Bring the whole family to Durango Mountain Resort for Mardi Gras fun! The kids will love the bead and plush toy tosses on Saturday and Sunday at 4pm in Purgatory Village Plaza.  Immerse yourself in Cajun culture as the sounds of Zydeco music play throughout the Resort all weekend, as well as on Fat Tuesday.  The festivities culminate on Fat Tuesday, March 8th when the final bead toss will occur on the Ski Beach in the afternoon. Skiers and riders will enjoy Hurricane cocktails for Après Ski while they celebrate all things Mardi Gras at 9,000 feet.

Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort provides snow enthusiasts with many ways to enjoy the winter wonderland. Purgatory features 88 trails, three terrain parks and 1,360 skiable acres. With 10 chairlifts and rarely any lines, it’s simple to zip around the mountain and enjoy the spectacular scenery amidst the rugged San Juan Mountains. For more information visit www.durangomountainresort.com or follow us on www.facebook.com/skipurg and www.twitter.com/skipurg.