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Party from lunch until last call at Black-eyed Sally's Fat Tuesday party at 350 Asylum St., Hartford.
Courant file photo
Party from lunch until last call at Black-eyed Sally’s Fat Tuesday party at 350 Asylum St., Hartford.
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Shrove Tuesday is Feb. 17 this year, but the celebrations started early in the month. Here are some of the parties happening this week:

>>A Mardi Gras parade steps off from Hartford’s Pratt Street at 5:15 p.m. Feb. 17 featuring all the trimmings: beads, gigantic puppets from artist Anne Cubberly, music by the Trinity Samba Ensemble and Hartford’s Proud Drill, Drum and Dance Corp, and an afterparty at Bear’s Smokehouse on Arch Street with free, live bluegrass music. Revelers will gather before the parade at Hartford Prints!, the letterpress shop on Pratt. (See related story).

>>Foxwoods hosts a Fat Tuesday pub crawl Feb. 17 with food and drink specials at several of its restaurants, including Cedars, Alta Strada, Hard Rock Café, Red Lantern, High Rollers, and Scorpion Bar. Guests purchase a $10 “Mad About Mardi Gras” bracelet to receive the discounts; they’ll also be treated to samples of King Cake and entered to win specialty prizes. Alta Strada will be serving a Fat Tuesday happy hour menu and draft beer, wine and drink specials, and Cedars Lounge, Atrium Bar and Center Bar will be offering $3 draft beers. foxwoods.com.

>>Black-eyed Sally’s, 350 Asylum St., Hartford, features several events Feb. 17: a $12.95 all-you-can-eat lunch buffet with jambalaya, blackened catfish, fried chicken, red beans and rice and pulled pork; happy hour drink specials and free munchies from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.; and music by Rivercity Slim & the Zydeco Hogs starting at 7:30 p.m. The nighttime festivities include stiltwalkers, face painting and beads. 860-278-RIBS, blackeyedsallys.com.

>>La Boca, 337 Main St., Middletown, celebrates with a Mardi Gras Party Feb. 17 with food and drink specials starting at 5 p.m. and music from Sonic Nation starting at 8 p.m. Menu items include etouffee, po’ boys, oysters, fried okra and more, and Hurricanes are $10 all night long. Masks and beads encouraged. labocaonmain.com and 860-347-4777.

>>Doors open at 4 p.m. Feb. 17 for Infinity Hall & Bistro’s Mardi Gras party in Hartford. The event features Cajun-inspired food and drink specials (the first 100 people in get one free Sugar Island hurricane drink.) Buckwheat Zydeco performs in the Hall at 7:30 p.m. Comedian/magician Brian Miller and a full marching band will also be part of the festivities. Tickets are $20 for orchestra level and $44 for mezzanine; purchase of ticket includes entrance to party and concert. Food and drink are sold separately 860-560-7757, infinityhall.com.

>>Matthew’s Restaurant, 55 Mill St., Unionville, hosts its 2015 Mardi Gras Ball Feb. 17 at 6 p.m. Dinner includes a Louisiana crawfish boil, blackened catfish with PEI mussels and Andouille sausage, a “bayou bacon” carving station, chicken jambalaya with dirty rice, fried oysters, collard greens, black eyed peas, cheddar jalapeno cornbread and beignets. Hurricane cocktails are available for $14, which includes a souvenir glass. The Colbys band provides live music. Cost is $55 a person. Information and reservations: 860-673-7373, matthews-restaurant.com.

>>Nat Hayden’s,144B Broad St., Windsor, offers Cajun/Creole specials on Mardi Gras Tuesday, such as crawfish bisque, a fried shrimp po’boy, and jambalaya as well as its regular items like Louisiana gumbo and blackened catfish. Information: 860-298-8955, haydensrealbbq.com.