If you did not make it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras this year, that does not mean you have to wait until next year to celebrate.

University Program Board (UPB) is hosting a new event called Bourbon Street Banger, a Mardi Gras-themed party that will take place on March 29 from 9 p.m. to midnight. The party will be located in the Prairie Room of the Bone Student Center. This event is free and open to the public.

The event will have food such as mocktails, macaroni and cheese, and hush puppies. It will also have live jazz music, along with street entertainers such as a magician and a caricature artist. UPB will even help you dress the part with beads, hats, and masks.

Katie Carranza, the late night chairperson of UPB, says the event only took five months to prepare, and even though the event is meant for students to have fun, she also hopes that they have met their other goal. “The goals of this event are to successfully bring Mardi Gras to the students and hopefully teach them about the culture of Mardi Gras,” says Katie.

For any questions regarding the event, please contact University Program Board at UniversityProgramBoard@IllinoisState.edu or call (309) 438-8814.