Congratulations to Allison Carlyle and Aimee Crochet for winning this week’s giveaways!

It’s Mardi Gras Madness in Downtown Fayetteville! Forget Bourbon Street, Dickson St. in downtown Fayetteville is the place to be for all the Mardi Gras festivities. This is one of the best weeks to get out and about downtown. Why? Because there’s so much going on! Mardi Gras is synonymous with food, fun, and letting loose, some of the same things that our own Dickson Street is known for. Don’t forget to email your Mardi Gras stories to me at leslie@taylormack.com. I’ll choose a couple of the best ones to feature in a future DicksonStUnderground.com email. You never know, yours might be chosen!

Feb.2 is the Fat Saturday Parade of Fools at 2 pm on Dickson St. and Downtown Square. The Fat Saturday parade is child-friendly and will include cool floats, bands, costumes and plenty of bead and trinket throwing. Keep an eye out for the DicksonStUnderground.com float in Saturday’s parade.

February 5 is Fat Tuesday and you know what that means; it’s time to party! The King and Queen of Mardi Gras will be crowned at Jose’s at 7:30 p.m. The parade starts at 8:00 pm, so join the King and Queen and the Billy Zydeco Band for a foot parade downtown as they wind in and out of neighboring clubs until around 10 p.m. Don’t forget about Jose’s special Red Beans and Rice on Fat Tuesday.

Stop in for lunch at Bordinos for Foo Foo Fridays and get a $5.00 chocolate martini! While you're there, register to win an extra special Valentine’s Day dinner at Bordino’s. Register now until February 8 each time you go in for lunch Tuesdays-Fridays, 11:00-2:00. Winners will receive dinner valued at $150 prepared by Chef Chrissy. As a relative new comer to Fayetteville, I dined at Bordino’s for the first time two weekends ago and instantly fell in love with its upscale-yet-laid back atmosphere. My date and I enjoyed the Spinach Fettuccini with Chicken in a white cream sauce and the chocolate fudge and almond gelato, both of which were to die for. If you’ve never been to Bordino’s or just haven’t stopped in in awhile, you must do so as soon as possible. Your taste buds will thank you. Don’t forget that Bordino’s will be serving Crawfish Gumbo on Fat Tuesday.

Common Grounds is the place to go this week for some great new drink specials just in time for Mardi Gras. Feb. 2 & 3, Common Grounds will feature the Dirty Girl Scout ($5.50), the Beetlejuice ($5.75), and the Electric Watermelon ($5.75). Feb. 4, be sure to ask for the Bloody Lip Martini ($5.75). Stop by Common Grounds on Feb. 5 for the Fat Tuesday drink specials, the Bruise ($4.25) and Goldschlager Shots ($5.00).

George’s Majestic Lounge is playing host to a number of great musical talent during the month of February. Don’t forget that you can purchase tickets online at www.georgesmajesticlounge.com. So check out the schedule below

2/1- George Hutchison’s Birthday Party with Oreo Blue, The Nace Brothers, Earl Cate, and Steve Pryor: Doors open at 4:00 p.m., show starts at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $10.

2/5- Lotus: Doors open at 8:00 p.m., show starts at 9:00 p.m.. Tickets are $10

2/6- Victor Wooten (pictured right): Doors open at 8:30 p.m., show at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $20

The Hogs will play Ole Miss on February 2 at 2:05 p.m. Tickets are $20 for all ages. The Lady ‘Backs will play Georgia on February 7 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for this game are $6.00 for adults, $4.00 for kids, and $2.00 for U of A students with a valid student ID. Go Hogs go!

Flamenco Vivo will take the stage at the Walton Arts Center on Friday, February 1 and Saturday, February 2. Both shows start at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are on sale now for $25 per person. Addy, an American Girl Story will be held Sunday, February 3 at 2:00 p.m. with tickets priced at $14 for children and $22 for adults. You may purch

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Tours and tastings of the brewery at Hog Haus Brewing Company are given every Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The tours are free to everyone, just sign up at the host stand in the entrance. Whether you are a beer expert or just someone who enjoys a cold one now and then, the tour is fun, quick, and did I mention the free samples? The tour is quick (20 min.) and Hog Haus’s master brewer, Steve Mazylewski, keeps the tour informative and funny. If you’re hungry after the tour, I would highly recommend the Hog Haus Chicken Breast Sandwich for a mere $8.95 (so good!)

Word on the Street

“The Mystery of the Mayan Medallion,” an exhibit developed by the Arkansas Discovery Network, will be on display now through March 8th at the Joy Pratt Markham Gallery at the Walton Arts Center. The interactive exhibit, geared toward children, parents and teachers, is a puzzle where participants look for treasure and avoid the fate of unfortunate archaeologists.

Pretty in Pink: Shanghai Nights, a fashion show to benefit the Ozark Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, will be held at 7 p.m. February 2 at the Fayetteville Town Center, 15 West Mountain St. The event will include a fashion show featuring the Shadang line of Rafi Anteby. Performances by Lauren de Miranda and DJ Vick Vegas will follow. VIP tickets (first four rows of the runway) are $150, $75 general admission. Cabanas which can set 10 and feature catering, are $1,500.

The King and Queen of Mardi Gras will be crowned at Jose’s at 7:30 p.m. The parade starts at 8:00 pm, so join the King and Queen and the Billy Zydeco Band for a foot parade downtown as they wind in and out of neighboring clubs until around 10 p.m. This event is recommended for adults only and is guaranteed to be one heck of a good time. If any of you have any good Mardi Gras stories you’d be willing to share with me (and if you don’t now, you will after this week), send them to me at leslie@taylormack.com. I’d ask for pics, but I’m not sure I want to go there….

Listen to Clear Channel Broadcasting for all your Mardi Gras news!

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