Naturally, Fat Tuesday is Tuesday. You, however, can begin Mardi Gras early – we won’t tell, but you’ll have a lot to atone for on Wednesday, buddy – beginning Saturday.
Laughs before living it up though. On Friday, the Fabulously Funny Comedy Festival, with headliner Mike Epps and four other comedians, lands at Pechanga Arena in the Midway District. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show start at $59. Meanwhile former SNL star David Spade stops at the Balboa Theatre, also at 8 p.m. His new show debuted last summer on Comedy Central. Tickets start at $36.
Your Mardi Gras options begin Saturday and of course, continue on to Tuesday.
For early birds, there’s the Big Easy Bites & Booze Tour, at 1 p.m. Saturday. For $25, it includes stops at 15 Gaslamp eateries. Night owls, though, should opt for Gaslamp Mardi Gras, where passes get you access to live entertainment at more than 25 restaurants, bars and clubs, with New Orleans-inspired menus, parties at select venues and more. The hot spots open at 6 p.m. but accept newcomers throughout the night. Tickets cost $39 Saturday and Sunday, and $32 on Tuesday.
Outside the Gaslamp, hop on the Hillcrest Mardi Gras 2020 party bus from 5-11 p.m. Saturday to enjoy stops along University Avenue. Tickets are $15. Finally, on Sunday, join the Mardi Gras Crawl along El Cajon Boulevard in North Park and be led by a New Orleans-style brass band to try food, drinks, live music and shops. The fun kicks off at noon at Beer Igniter, 3052 El Cajon Blvd., concluding at the Lafayette Hotel. Tickets range from $2-6 for treats along the route.
Need something more wholesome amid all the revelry? Escondido Choral Arts welcomes the Westminster Chorus to the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. The Orange County group puts a new spin on the barbershop tradition. Tickets range from $25-30.
Choirs from throughout the region will appear at Super Sunday Gospel Fest at the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union at San Diego State. The free fest, at 6:30 p.m., will feature artists, in addition to the choirs, including VaShawn Mitchell and Kira Daffin.
– Staff reports