TIME TO get out the masks and beads—Mardi Gras is back!

Once again, the best parties will take place around downtown Honolulu, with block parties planned in Chinatown and at Aloha Tower Marketplace. In addition, families will be able to celebrate as well at the Children's Discovery Center.

This year's “;Mardi Gras Carnaval”; will encompass five different street corners downtown, with full stage setups and live entertainment from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Tuesday. Among the scheduled performers are Delta Skeltah, Quadrophonix, Cherry Blossom Cabaret, Family Dinner, Espiritu Libre and a variety of local DJs. After the block party wraps up, nightclubs NextDoor, Manifest and SoHo Mixed Media Bar will co-host an official after-party, with one $10 cover charge allowing access to all three venues; call 521-9699.

At Aloha Tower Marketplace, the Fat Tuesday celebration gets under way at 5 p.m. with Mardi Gras musicians and Brazilian dancers at the Center Atrium, followed by performances by the U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Band and Dancers Unlimited. Gordon Biersch will participate as well, with a special menu and live entertainment by Cerro Negro, Capoeira Hawaii, Samba Axe and Sunway until 1 a.m.

Across Ala Moana Boulevard at Restaurant Row, Oceans808 presents “;Mardi Gras Mania”; on Tuesday, with the nightclub “;transformed into a Bourbon Street carnival, complete with Mardi Gras-themed green, gold and purple decorations, go-go dancers and face-painting.”; The University of Hawaii's Rainbow Warrior Dancers will also be on hand; cover is $10 at the door.

And from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Children's Discovery Center presents what they're calling “;the only Mardi Gras celebration in town created just for children.”; Keiki will be able to decorate their own masks, create festive noisemakers and ride a vintage carousel. Admission is $10, with $2 discounts for Hawaii residents and free entry for those under 1 year old. Call 524-5437 or visit www.hsblinks.com/1v4 ...

CONCERT NEWS: Good Life Entertainment, DIG Lifestyles and Fat Lace present the return of Souls of Mischief on Feb. 27. They'll perform at Fresh Cafe as part of the “;Hella Flush”; after-party; tickets are $20 in advance at the cafe, DIG Lifestyles, KICKS/HI, Fitted Hawaii, In4mation and Prototype. The last time SoM performed here was in 2006 ... Tom Moffatt was pretty busy last week, announcing two big shows in March that will take place within days of each other. Tickets are on sale now for both a March 11 concert by Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs at the Waikiki Shell and a March 13 performance by Julio Iglesias at the Blaisdell Concert Hall ... Island Fire Productions continues to work its way into the local concert scene with word last week that Manny Pacquiao will headline a “;Wowowee”;-style show at the Waikiki Shell on March 21. That will be followed on April 17 by Katchafire's only Hawaii concert in 2010, also at the Shell ...

FRIDAY'S PICKS: Hawaii residents continue to do their part to help raise money for the victims of last month's earthquake in Haiti. “;Island to Island for Haiti”; is the latest fundraiser to be announced, with live performances by Cecilio and Kapono, Amy Hanaialii, Jimmy Borges, Ledward Kaapana, Afatia Thompson and Taimane Gardner at the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Great Lawn from 5 to 8 p.m. Suggested donation is $20 at the door, with all proceeds going to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief and Development Fund. Visit http://www.hsblinks.com/1v2 for more ... Get back to the roots of the electronic dance music scene tonight at Alter Solum during “;Dubplate: Roots 101.”; This BYOB party will feature resident DJs Raf and Monkey, with guest sets by DJs Keith and Jahson the 45 Revolver. Cover is $8 after 11 p.m. ... Racesauce Hawaii, Element Group and the UH-Manoa Financial Management Association present “;FM Angels,”; a white-themed party to benefit the American Heart Association of Hawaii, at Ginza Nightclub. A $1,000 costume contest is planned; visit www.hawaii.edu/fma ...

SATURDAY'S PICKS: “;Space Truckin'”; returns to thirtyninehotel with a special Valentine's Day edition that features special guest DJ Thomas from Cambridge, England. Doors open at 9 p.m., but don't be surprised if this party continues until daylight on Sunday morning ... Guest DJs Richard “;Humpty”; Vission and Thee-O headline “;Silky Love”; at Pipeline Cafe. Local DJs G-Spot, PSI, Scarrd, Miki Mayhem and Errrick are among the openers; $15 pre-sale tickets are still available. Call 589-1999 ... “;Chic Soiree”; presents a special Kama Sutra-themed party at Longhi's tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. This party will have guests “;exploring the tangible boundaries of the erotic”;; visit www.hsblinks.com/1v3 ...

”;In the Mix”; drops Fridays in HILife. Contact Jason Genegabus by e-mail at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).