At this point, Emeril Lagasse is making sure the beignets and gumbo are appropriately larded up for tonight’s 69th Annual Radio & Television Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the National Building Museum.

One of the swankier black-tie affairs, and the unofficial end to Washington’s nerd prom season, this year’s Mardi Gras-themed event, which starts at 7 p.m. and ends somewhere around midnight, will bring out journalists, members, celebrities and Washington’s elite.

The menu, overseen by the ebullient Lagasse, will be complemented by some of New Orleans’ finest bands, including the Dirty Bourbon River Show and the Washboard Chaz Blues Trio.

Just don’t get too close to the museum’s fountain, which has sucked in for a good soak the likes of Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla.