Bal Masqué

New Orleans loves any excuse to party, and the confluence of a great cause and the start of Carnival guarantees a particularly enjoyable fete. The Link Stryjewski Foundation kicks off the season with their Bal Masqué event, a grand masquerade party whose proceeds support the Foundation's mission to “nourish, educate, and empower the youth of New Orleans.” The evening features live tunes from Tribu Buharu, Nathan and the Zydeco Cha Chas, and The Roots of Music, and DJ El Camino, as well as tastes from celebrity chefs and mixologists brought together by James Beard Award-winning Chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski. If that's not enough to satisfy your appetite for pre-Carnival cavorting, get the festivities started a day earlier with the exclusive Chef's Dinner the evening before the ball. Dress code for the Bal Masqué is black tie or costume—accompanied, of course, by the requisite mask. 7 pm at 1021 Convention Center Blvd. $300 and up. balmasque.linkstryjewski.org.