Madden Gras celebration to take place in New Orleans

To kick off the launch of the 22nd edition (!!) of its Madden NFL series, Electronic Arts will be throwing a Mardi Gras-style Madden event in New Orleans tonight, on the eve of the game’s launch.

The event will feature floats, beads, and lots of Madden NFL 11. While waiting to pick up their own copy of Madden NFL 11, folks can play the game on kiosks prior to the game’s midnight launch, or listen to live music from Big Boy and local New Orleans bands like Galactic, Cowboy Mouth, and the Rebirth Brass Band. More into football than music? You can keep your eyes peeled for NFL superstars Marshall Faulk, Rickey Jackson, Marcus Allen, Deuce McAllister, Bobby Hebert, and more. Collect ’em all!

Topping things off, EA Sports’ Tiburon studio will be donating $100,000 to the National Wildlife Federation to lend a hand to Gulf Coast oil spill relief.

Want to do you part? Read our Madden NFL 11 review, and then buy (or don’t buy) the game accordingly. Or, if you’re in New Orleans, do it up in style tonight and let us know how it goes.