alaska airlines magazine january articles

JANUARY 2015 ALASKA AIRLINES MAGAZINE 19

Elaborate masks are one of Mardi Gras’ most famous traditions.

SAN MARINO, CA

Openings at The HuntingtonThe Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens has been a hub of culture and education on the West Coast since its public opening in 1928. On January 14, the front portion of a new education and visitors

center will open; eventually, the center will be nestled within 6.5 acres of new gardens. The project is slated to be fully finished this April. Once complete, the visitors center will feature a 400-seat

auditorium, meeting and event spaces, a cafe with garden views and an indoor courtyard with a 36-foot-tall glass dome.

Upcoming attractions at The Huntington include “The U.S. Constitution and the End of American Slavery” (January 24–April 20). This exhibition’s opening marks the 150th anniver-sary of the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery. The exhibit features rare documents, including letters by Abraham Lincoln. To learn more, call 626-405-2100 or visit huntington.org. —Tanya Friedland

New indoor and outdoor spaces at The Huntington, shown in the rendering, will open this year.

NEW ORLEANS, LA

A Spectacular FestivalEver since explorer Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville first arrived in what was to become Louisi-ana, on the eve of Mardi Gras in 1699, the history of New Orleans has been closely tied to the holiday. Traditionally celebrated as a final day of merriment before Catholic Lent, Mardi Gras in New Orleans offers fun and spectacle for people of all ages.

This year, parades will begin on February 6. Other main attractions will start on February 12 and continue through “Fat Tuesday” itself, February 17. Highlights include eating King Cakes (sugared pastries with dolls inside), catching “throws” such as beads thrown from parade floats, and seeing the Krewe of Rex (“The King of Carnival”) parade as it proceeds along St. Charles Avenue on the last day of the festival. Visit neworleansonline.com/neworleans/mardigras for more information. —Tanya Friedland

Feb. 12–15; fireworks, live music and parades on the oceanfront; Mazatlán, Mexico; mazatlantoday.net and carnavalmazatlan.net.

ALSO OF NOTE …

THIS JANUARY is the Bicentennial of the Battle of New Orleans, which ended the War of 1812. For event information, visit battleofneworleans2015.com.

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