The rumors are true — Publix King Cake is ALL TIME! We’re back, Pensacola! The first Food Crush of the year took place yesterday and we found it most appropriate to get our taste buds warmed up in the spirit of the season, Mardi Gras season. On theme, we invited a guest judge, Danny Zimmern, President of Pensacola Mardi Gras.
Not only is the 2025 Pensacola Mardi Gras Season presented by Publix, but we also heard through the grapevine that Publix King Cakes are not to be missed. So what’s the deal with King Cakes anyways? I asked the Food Crush team in the video above and I feel like we could all use a little history lesson. So here it is in six sentences.
Mardi Gras season begins on January 6, twelve days after Christmas, of each year and ends on Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent. One of the many wonderful traditions of Mardi Gras, and probably the most delicious is the King Cake. The celebration of this event has evolved over the centuries, with each culture adding its own unique rituals. The tradition is believed to have begun in the 1870’s and as part of this celebration it is now traditional to bake a cake in honor it.
Each cake is decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors – purple representing justice, green representing faith, and gold representing power. A small baby, symbolizing the baby Jesus, is traditionally included with each King Cake. The traditional King Cake is made from twisted strands of a blended coffee cake & cinnamon roll dough, covered with icing and sprinkled with purple, green and gold colored sugar.
There is no right or wrong way to enjoy King Cakes, as you can see our Food Crush team decided the tail gate of their truck is as good a place as anywhere to enjoy this twisted treat. Our only advice, if you see the limited edition cakes at Publix this season, snag it because they sell out and they sell out often.
Each year, Pensacola’s Mardi Gras draws in over 100,000 people for its main event, the Pensacola Grand Mardi Gras Parade, which takes place in downtown Pensacola on the Saturday before Fat Tuesday. This event is a celebration of culture, music, food, art, and most of all, family fun. Pensacola Mardi Gras’ parade weekend starts February 28th with the Illuminated Parade on Friday evening at 7 p.m. followed by the Grand Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday, March 1st at 2 p.m. and finishing out the weekend with the Pensacola Beach Krewe of Wrecks Parade on Sunday, March 2nd at 2 p.m. The Pensacola Mardi Gras will come to end at the Fat Tuesday Celebration on March 4th at Seville Quarter.
Find everything you need to know about Pensacola Mardi Gras including parade routes, calendars, history and more here.
