Celebrate Mardi Gras in Minden on March 4 benefits Austin’s House. The third annual Mardi Gras Magic Dinner & Dance is at the Carson Valley Inn.

This fundraiser will recreate the party atmosphere of New Orleans on Fat Tuesday with food, music, dancing, raffle prizes and a Grand Prize drawing for a trip to The Big Easy.

The evening starts at 6pm with a cocktail hour. Then feast on a Cajun buffet dinner featuring peel and eat shrimp, chicken gumbo, blackened fish, sausage steamed in beer, shrimp etouffee and smoked rib eye roast with all of the trimmings.

After dinner, the Mardi Gras Magic party hits full stride with dancing music provided by Fabrizio. Raffle prizes will be drawn every 15 minutes. The silent auction features donated prizes from local businesses.

Tickets are $50. Tables of 10 are available for $500. Only 200 tickets will be sold. Call Austin’s House at (775) 267.6711 to order your tickets. Visa and MasterCard are accepted.

Austin’s House is the only emergency children’s shelter in rural Northern Nevada.