Rio Grande Valley residents celebrated a New Orleans tradition Tuesday.

Mardi Gras — or Fat Tuesday — is the last day to celebrate before giving up something for Lent on Ash Wednesday.

"It’s a time to let loose,” Broken Sprocket co-owner Tony Estrada said. “You're getting ready to go into Lent, so it's a time to just party a little bit more than you normally do. Also, it's a time to think about what you're going to be committing and giving up during Lent.”  

Estrada has been putting on a Mardi Gras celebration in Brownsville for six years. The event features seven Valley food trucks, crawfish imported from Houston and a jazz concert. 

The fun also started early in McAllen at Suerte Uptown.

Customers at Suerte enjoyed brightly colored drinks, purple tacos and a live band.

"It's just a great day,” Suerte manager Jaime Gomez said. “Everybody is having a nice party, especially over there in New Orleans. We're just trying to join in on the fun."