Flight to New Orleans: about $350.00 round-trip
Obligatory purple, green and gold clothing: probably close to $50
Hotel/food/drink costs: don’t even want to think about it

Grand total? A sobbing wallet, clinically depressed bank account, and minuscule dignity.

Luckily, Festa Parties has a solution for all Chicagoans who bleed purple, green and gold and are willing to do whatever it takes for some bead laden neck candy. Bead Quest III: Bead You Tonight, Festa’s Mardi Gras pub crawl, allows crawlers to experience 9 bars in Wrigleyville while competing for beads at each location.

Rather than trying to come up with an excuse deemed professional enough by your boss, (ie: NOT “it’s always been my dream to make my parents proud by raging on Bourbon Street.”) call your best friends, significant other/others – though it may be smart to only tell one per event/parents/coworkers/top MySpace friends, and enjoy Chicago’s own tribute to Mardi Gras.

Notorius for its 10,000+ attendee TBOX event (Twelve Bars of Xmas), Festa Parties knows how to create a memorable (or slightly hazy…) event. This year’s tribute to Mardi Gras madness will take place on February 19th, beginning at 2:00pm at Murphy’s Bleachers. Bead Quest III takes bead collectors full circle, ending the event at 10:00pm right where it started, complete with Karaoke and a DJ dance party.

Last year, party planners tossed out over 10,000 beads to Miller Lite and Vodka Hurricane drinkers parading through Wrigleyville. Save yourself the time, money and creative effort required to take a trip to NOLA and celebrate Mardi Gras in the comfort of the Windy City.

Click here to learn more and to purchase tickets for Bead Quest III.