Retail bakeries celebrate Mardi Gras

Though Mardi Gras isn’t until next week, some retail bakeries have been celebrating early with traditional pre-Lenten cakes and pastries.

Depending on the region, retailers may promote king cakes or the Polish paczki. Tops Markets also sells fastnachts, which are German doughnuts.

Riesbeck’s Food Markets, whose paczki sales totaled nearly $350,000 last year, will even hold a Paczki Ball with live polka music on Saturday.