Mardi Gras in August? Here's the Story Behind Our Most Colorful Themed Camping Weekend

Mardi Gras is supposed to happen in February. Beads, parades, jazz, it's tied to Fat Tuesday and the start of Lent. So why does a campground calendar in upstate New York list a full Mardi Gras weekend right in the middle of summer?

Here's the short answer: because at a themed camping weekend, the name isn't about the calendar. It's about the format, and once you see how that format works, an August Mardi Gras stops being confusing and starts making a lot of sense.

What's the Saturday Night Event?

Every themed weekend builds toward Saturday night, and Mardi Gras is no exception. That's when the lawn fills in, the stage lights come on, and a live band takes over for the evening. If you've ever searched for campgrounds with live music and wondered what that actually looks like in person, this is it, a real band playing to a crowd of campers who've spent the whole day building up to this moment.

The night's centerpiece is the adult costume contest: judged in front of the whole crowd, prizes on the line, and, this being Mardi Gras, no shortage of beads, masks, and purple-green-and-gold. It's the kind of scene that's hard to picture at a typical campground, which is exactly the point of building an entire weekend around a theme in the first place.

Is There Anything Else Scheduled Besides the Costume Contest?

The costume contest gets the sign-up sheet, but it's far from the only thing happening. Mardi Gras weekend, like every themed weekend, runs on a full daytime schedule before the band even sets up: a pool party with a DJ and games, adult swim for the grown-ups who want the pool to themselves for a bit, kids' crafts running in parallel so the whole family has something to do, and bingo, often benefiting the local volunteer fire department.

By the time the sun goes down and the band starts, most guests have already had a full day of activity. The costume contest is the finale, not the whole event.

Is Mardi Gras One of Many Themed Camping Weekends, or Something More Unique?

Mardi Gras is one of 25+ themed weekends run across the season, part of a lineup that adds up to over 200 events a year, alongside weekends like Blackbeard's Beach Bash, Great Gatsby, and Casino Glow & Hunt. In that sense, it's not a one-off; it's one entry in a much bigger idea: that a themed camping weekend gives every trip its own personality, instead of every weekend at the campground looking the same.

What makes Mardi Gras stand out within that lineup is the aesthetic, it's one of the more visually loud themes on the calendar, built for costumes, color, and a party atmosphere. If you want to see where it fits alongside the rest of the season, the full events calendar lays out every themed weekend from May through October.

Do All Themed Weekends Follow the Same Dress-Up-Contest Format?

Mostly, yes, with a few genuine exceptions. Most themed camping weekends share the same skeleton: a Saturday-night live band, an adult costume contest tied to that week's theme, a pool party, and kids' activities during the day. What changes week to week is the theme itself and how far guests take the dress-up angle, Mardi Gras beads and masks look nothing like a Great Gatsby flapper look or a Blackbeard pirate costume, even though the format underneath is the same.

A handful of weekends break from the format entirely. The Walleye Tournament, for example, is built around fishing and scoring rather than a costume contest, and Swamp Olympics leans into games and competition instead of a dress-up theme. So while the costume-contest format is the norm, it's not a rule every single weekend follows.

Do I Need a Golf Cart to Fully Enjoy Themed Weekends, or Is There Another Way to Get Around?

Not necessarily. The property sits on 46 acres, with a good portion of that directly on the water, so depending on where your site is, the pool, event lawn, and marina could be a short walk or a longer one. Golf cart rentals are available on-site if you'd rather not walk back and forth all weekend, especially with kids, coolers, or costume changes in the mix, but plenty of guests get around just fine on foot, particularly if their site is closer to the main areas.

If you're not sure how far your site would be from the action, the campsite map breaks down exactly where everything sits relative to the sites and cabins, which makes it easier to decide whether a golf cart is worth adding to your stay.

FAQ

What happens on Saturday night during Mardi Gras weekend? 

A live band performs for the evening, followed by the weekend's adult costume contest, judged in front of the crowd with prizes on the line.

Is the costume contest the only scheduled event during Mardi Gras weekend?

No — the weekend also includes a pool party with a DJ, adult swim, kids' crafts, and bingo that often benefits the local volunteer fire department, all before the Saturday-night band and costume contest.

Is Mardi Gras a one-time event or part of a regular lineup?

It's one of 25+ themed camping weekends run across the season, alongside other themes like Blackbeard's Beach Bash and Great Gatsby, adding up to over 200 events a year.

Do all themed weekends follow the same costume-contest format?

Most do — a live band, costume contest, pool party, and kids' activities — but a few, like the Walleye Tournament and Swamp Olympics, are built around fishing or games instead of a dress-up theme.

Do I need a golf cart to get around during themed weekends?

Not necessarily. Golf cart rentals are available for guests who'd rather not walk, but many guests get around on foot depending on how close their site is to the pool, event lawn, and marina.

However you get around the property, a themed weekend is one of those things that's easier to experience than explain. Whether you're pulling in an RV for the weekend or settling into a cabin, there's a Mardi Gras-worth of color waiting on the calendar, and 24 more themed weekends after it.

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