St. Louis bakery La Pâtisserie Chouquette takes the crown with its Mardi Gras king cakes

The biggest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States is in New Orleans. That makes sense because of the town’s strong French connection.

The French connection also is strong in St. Louis, a town founded by colonial French fur traders in 1764. And, in St. Louis, Mardi Gras celebrations are often hard and loud, most notably in the Soulard neighborhood.