Holy Go Cups! As the majority of Austin gets ready to roll out the red carpet for the onslaught of incoming for the South by Southwest orgy of festivals, so many are heading east for one last Carnival blast. Here's the first set of great links to help you on your way.

Carnival, or as most know it, Mardi Gras season, kicked off back on January 6 with Twelfth Night. And for 2012, my krewe held a King Cake party at mi casa featuring the pastry excellence of Bakerman's Bakery, for our money, the best King Cake you can get in Austin, Texas. (It's our personal favorite anywhere and will be featured in this Thursday's Chronicle Food section.) Mardi Gras itself is a day, Fat Tuesday (this year, Tue., Feb. 21) , and the season-long party basically leads up to it.

This weekend, a boat load of Austin is going to New Orleans, so if you are inclined to get in a li'l last minute Mardi Gras action – whether it be in NOLA or in of the other communities that celebrate Carnival good and proper along the I-10 corridor – let us help you with some hints.

Here are the main Carnival web pages across the South:

NEW ORLEANS
Mardigrasneworleans.com
Neworleanscvb.com
Mardigras.com
Times-Picayune, Nola.com
The Gambit, Bestofneworleans.com
Neworleansonline.com
Mardigrasday.com
Carnival New Orleans Blog
(See walking krewes, gay Mardi Gras, and alternative links in a separate post)

GALVESTON
Mardigrasgalveston.com
Galveston.com/mardigras
Galveston Daily News
Allaboutmardigras.com

LAKE CHARLES
Swlamardigras.com
Mardi Gras Museum
Visitlakecharles.org

ACADIANA ("Cajun country" including: Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Eunice, Mamou, and more)
Houmatoday.com
Mardigraslafayette.net
Gomardigras.com
Iota/Eunice Mardi Gras
Cajunradio.org
Baton-rouge.com Spanishtownmardigras.com

OTHER GULF COAST (Port Arthur, Pensacola, Mobile)
Mobile.org
Pensacolamardigras.com
Mardigras.portarthur.com

GREAT RADIO to listen to, if you roadtrippin':
KBON 101.1FM, Eunice, LA
WWOZ 90.7FM, New Orleans
KTRU, student radio, Rice University, Houston, TX (but you'll need an iPhone or iPad on the road because the disgusting FCC sold their on-air frequency)
KLSU, student radio, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

Stay tuned! Next post: walking krewes, small parades, gay Mardi Gras, and last-minute hotels, etc.

EASY LINKS TO RELATED POSTS
Eastbound & Down: Mardi Party Links, Pt. 2
Eastbound & Down: Austin Invades NOLA
I'm a Tosser