1. Enjoy festive live music: Celebrate Fat Tuesday with the jazzy sounds of New Orleans at The Blue Note. The music venue’s Mardi Gras party will feature NOLA’s very own Glen David Andrews Band. Entry is $10 or $15 for reserved balcony table seats. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.

2. Hit the bars: If you missed your shot to get wild in Soulard this past weekend, don’t fret because the Mardi Gras mayhem is making its way to Columbia tonight. Local gay hotspot the SoCo Club is hosting a Fat Tuesday-themed party in their lounge with beads, SoCo Hurricanes and karaoke beginning at 8 p.m. Popular downtown bar Harpo’s Bar & Grill is also throwing a Fat Tuesday blowout that begins at 4 p.m. Drink specials include $2 Harpo’s Hammer Hurricanes from 4 p.m. to midnight, $1.50 domestic bottles and pints during happy hour and $3 double wells during happy hour. In addition to these special deals, Harpo’s is also offering its regular Tuesday night drink specials and half-price burgers.

3. Get crafty and mask yourself: Skip the crowded club scene and get crafty at home. With Vox’s easy instructions and tips, you’ll be sporting a purple, green and gold masquerade mask in no time.

4. Bake King Cake: For many Southerners, particularly New Orleans natives, Mardi Gras wouldn’t be complete without a helping of King Cake. The tradition was brought to Louisiana by French and Spanish colonists, and it dates back to the 18th century in New Orleans. The cake is traditionally shaped in a ring of twisted bread and topped with icing in festive Mardi Gras colors. Bake a trinket inside the cake (a common choice is a tiny baby figurine), and play a game: Whoever finds the surprise has to bake the cake next year! Try this recipe from Food Network’s Emeril Lagasse.