Five Mardi Gras parades roll in New Orleans, Metairie and Mandeville Friday (Feb. 21). Find more things to do in New Orleans.

• The Krewes of Cork, Oshun, Cleopatra, Excalibur, and Eve present their 2014 parades.

• Family Gras 2014 amps up Metairie Mardi Gras with three-day music fest on parade route.

• Neutral Milk Hotel puts on a show at the Civic.

• Mel Chin delivers a gallery talk of his new retrospective exhibition, “Rematch,” as part of Friday Nights at NOMA.

• Loyola’s Smardi Gras kicks off with the Mardi Gras Mambo.

• Octavia Books hosts the Dark Days Winter Tour, a book signing featuring five authors of novels for young adults: Tehereh Mafi (“Ignite Me”), Kiersten White (“Perfect Lies”), Sophie Jordan (“The Uninvited”), Veronica Rossi (“Into the Still Blue”), and Claudia Gray (“Steadfast: A Spellcaster Novel”).

• DJ Soul Sister and the Other Bar present Good Spirits NOLA, an open bar happy hour, with proceeds to benefit Rethink, a local organization who works with youths to develop policy recommendations pertaining education.

• Gasa Gasa presents Pink Slip Mardi Gras Party featuring The Counts plus Susan Cowsill and Russ Broussard.

• New Orleans theater reviews, news, and listings.

• Augustines plus My Goodness perform at the Parish at the House of Blues.

• SimplePlay presents Gold and the Rush record release party with Cardinal Sons and Native America, at One Eyed Jacks.

• After the parades pass, check out the sing-along friendly Natural Light All-Stars at Circle Bar.

• Big Sam’s Funky Birthday Bash at Tipitina’s also features Speaker Box.

• The Maple Leaf hosts a tribute to piano king James Booker, featuring Jack Cruz, Cyril Neville, Tom Worrell, David Torkanowsky, Bill Malchow, Roger Martin, Lee Lee Alcorn and more.
  

• Prytania Gras (at Prytania Bar) features post-parade performances by Stooges Brass Band plus Sexual Thunder.

• Cedric Watson et Bijou Creole hold it down at d.b.a.

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Cate Root updates the calendar and writes about things to do in New Orleans. Follow her on Twitter @cateroot.