Mardi Gras 2027 Shirts: Dates, Colors, Krewe Rules

Mardi Gras 2027 falls on Tuesday, February 9, 2027, the day before Ash Wednesday (Feb. 10) and 47 days before Easter Sunday (March 28). Carnival season traditionally opens on Twelfth Night, January 6, so shops that print for krewes, parade parties, offices, and schools in Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas have about four weeks of peak demand in early 2027. This guide covers the dates, the colors and where they come from, the trademark issues that come up with krewe names, and shirt ideas that print well.

The 2027 Carnival calendar

The New Orleans parade dates and times come from the schedule posted on MardiGrasNewOrleans.com, a long-running parade guide that labels the 2027 schedule tentative and subject to change. It lists Endymion at 4:00 p.m. in Mid-City, Bacchus at 5:15 p.m. Uptown, Orpheus at 6:00 p.m. Uptown, Zulu at 8:00 a.m. on Fat Tuesday, and Rex at 10:30 a.m. Do not print a parade time on a shirt until the krewe confirms it.

Mobile, Alabama has not published its 2027 parade schedule as of Oct. 13, 2026. Mobile's Carnival has been held since 1703, which the Mobile Carnival Association and the city's visitor bureau describe as the oldest documented Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. Fat Tuesday is a legal holiday in Mobile and Baldwin counties.

Mardi Gras 2027 also lands five days before Super Bowl LXI and Valentine's Day on Feb. 14 and three days after Lunar New Year on Feb. 6, so February production schedules will be tight.

Purple, green, and gold

The Rex organization first used purple, green, and gold in 1872. Newspapers of the time did not record why those colors were chosen. In 1892, Rex staged a parade themed "Symbolism of Colors" that assigned the meanings most people repeat today: purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. New Orleans historian Errol Laborde has argued that the colors more likely came from heraldry, since a Carnival king needed a flag, and that the 1892 meanings were added later. Popular stories tying the colors to a visiting Russian grand duke or to school colors are disputed, so leave them off product descriptions.

For printing, the three colors are easy to reproduce with DTF on any blank color. Many shops print a gold or yellow design on purple or kelly green shirts, or all three colors on black. Ask the customer which shade of each color they want and match it on a proof.

Krewe names and emblems are not free to use

Krewes are private social organizations, and some protect their names and emblems as trademarks. The Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club's ZULU word mark is registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (Reg. No. 2719314) for social club services, with first use claimed in 1916, and the club filed a separate design-mark application in 2023 covering its emblem. In 2014 Zulu sued a former associate member for using club marks without permission to sell items online, according to WWNO.

Practical rules for a shop:

• Do not print a krewe's name, crest, or emblem unless the order comes from the krewe or a member with written permission from it.
• Generic phrases and symbols, such as "Mardi Gras 2027," "Fat Tuesday," "Laissez les bons temps rouler," masks, beads, crowns, and the fleur-de-lis drawn from scratch, are not tied to a single organization.
• Avoid copying a krewe's throw designs or parade poster art.

This is general information, not legal advice. For a borderline order, see the licensed character and trademark guide or ask an intellectual property attorney.

Shirt ideas that sell

Krewe and float rider shirts. Orders that come directly from a krewe or a float lieutenant, with the krewe's approval, are the largest single runs of the season. Riders often want matching shirts for the ride and for the ball. Parade party and family shirts. "The Landry Family, Mardi Gras 2027" with a mask or crown graphic. Name and year make it personal and keep it clear of krewe marks. Office and school shirts. King cake parties, school parades, and casual Fridays in the weeks before Fat Tuesday. Include youth sizes; see the youth size guide. Galveston and regional shirts. Mardi Gras Galveston runs Jan. 29 to Feb. 9, 2027, according to its official site. Local business sponsors and bar crawls often want small runs. Lundi Gras and "parade route" shirts. A route map style design with neighborhood names, drawn by the shop rather than copied from a krewe map.

Rules along the route

New Orleans City Council adopted updated Carnival rules in July 2026, according to FOX 8 coverage, including a limit of 3.5 pounds per parade throw and fines for ladders, grills, and canopies placed within six feet of the curb. The city's ready.nola.gov page says items may not be placed on the public right-of-way more than four hours before a parade. Shops that print throws or route-day shirts for krewes should confirm current rules with the krewe captain.

Printing and timing notes

• Plan for orders to arrive in early January. Most krewe and family orders want shirts in hand a week before their parade, which means the last week of January for Endymion and Bacchus riders.
• DTF prints full-color mask and bead artwork with gradients and fine lines that would take many screens. Check press settings for the blank in the DTF temperature and time chart.
• Metallic gold looks best as a specialty transfer; see the glitter and specialty DTF guide.
• For a full winter planning view, the seasonal DTF calendar lists order timelines by holiday.

When is Mardi Gras 2027?

Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is Tuesday, February 9, 2027. It is always the day before Ash Wednesday, which falls 46 days before Easter; Easter 2027 is March 28. Carnival season traditionally begins on January 6, Twelfth Night.

What do the Mardi Gras colors mean?

Rex's 1892 parade theme assigned purple to justice, green to faith, and gold to power. Rex first used the colors in 1872 without recording a reason, and New Orleans historian Errol Laborde believes they came from heraldry and that the meanings were added later.

Can I print a krewe's name on Mardi Gras shirts?

Only with the krewe's permission. Some krewes register their names and emblems as trademarks; Zulu's word mark is federally registered. Generic phrases such as "Mardi Gras 2027" and original mask or bead artwork avoid the problem.

When should a shop start taking Mardi Gras orders?

Early January for most orders. Riders in the Feb. 6 and Feb. 7 New Orleans parades want shirts by late January, and Galveston's events start Jan. 29, 2027. Larger krewe runs are often quoted in December.

What is the best print method for Mardi Gras shirts?

DTF handles multicolor mask, bead, and fleur-de-lis artwork on purple, green, gold, or black shirts without separate screens per color, which suits short family and office runs. Large krewe orders of one simple design may still be cheaper as screen printing.

Where it fits in the DTF Database

Mardi Gras is one of several early 2027 dates covered in the DTF Database seasonal series, alongside Lunar New Year 2027, Super Bowl LXI and Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day 2027, and the January and February 2027 race calendar.