Click on the Mardi Gras krewes below for further information about the krewe and to see their usual route for each parade. Please note: Events and activities are subject to change without notice. Stay tuned to the site for further info. Youngsville Mardi Gras Parade. March 1 at 11 a.m. Youngsville. Queen Evangeline’s Parade. March 3 at 6 p.m. Downtown Lafayette to Cajun Field. King Gabriel’s Parade. March 4 at 10 a.m. Downtown Lafayette to Cajun Field. Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival Parade. March 4 at 1 p.m. Downtown Lafayette to Cajun Field. Lafourche Parish parades Of the hundreds of Louisiana festivals, none tops Mardi Gras. Spectacular parades, unbelievable costumes, music, dancing, food, drink — take your pick of places to indulge and enjoy. The biggest celebration occurs in New Orleans, but nearly every community in the state has its own version of the annual party. Wherever you go, you can find the The holiday of Mardi Gras is celebrated in southern Louisiana, including the city of New Orleans.Celebrations are concentrated for about two weeks before and through Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday (the start of lent in the Western Christian tradition). Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, which takes place March 4, marks the party’s climax and the end of Carnival Season on the Gulf Coast. The conclusion falls the day before Ash Wednesday and is seen as a final day of feasting and revelry before the solemnity of Lent. Every year, as winter fades and spring approaches, the streets of New Orleans explode with color, music, and celebration. Mardi Gras, the grandest festival in Louisiana, is famous for its parades, beads, masked revelers, and deep cultural traditions. The History & Traditions of Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras has been celebrated in Louisiana since the 18th century, brought by French settlers. Today’s traditions stem from European carnival customs mixed with local culture, creating a uniquely New Orleans spectacle. We’ll get into most of these later, but here are the key traditions at a glance: Everything you need to know about Mardi Gras, including updated parade routes, traditions, the best places to get Mardi Gras beads, masks, king cakes and more! History of Mardi Gras in Louisiana. Mardi Gras’ roots trace back to Louisiana’s Spanish and French influences and have evolved over the centuries. Here are just a few lesser-known traditions and customs celebrated in the different regions. Cajun Mardi Gras. Cajun Mardi Gras, also called Courir de Mardi Gras, is a celebration on Fat Tuesday South Louisiana. Experience south Louisiana's rich culture during Mardi Gras season. If you're interested in quintessential Cajun encounters (like Courir de Mardi Gras, where participants dress in special costumes and beg for communal gumbo ingredients), head to southwest Louisiana, where Zydeco music, fantastic food and fais do-do dance parties are on display, too. The term "Mardi Gras" is commonly used to refer to the entire Carnival season, but Mardi Gras (a.k.a. "Fat Tuesday") is actually just a one day, pre-Lent party. When is Mardi Gras? Rex, one of the oldest Mardi Gras krewes, has been participating in parades since 1872 and established purple, gold and green as the iconic Mardi Gras colors. Louisiana is the only state in which Gheens—sometimes called Vacherie by older residents—is a small village of roughly 2,000 people located in Lafourche Parish, approximately 28 miles south of Thibodaux. 1 Gheens is one of only two southeastern Louisiana communities that still practice the traditional Mardi Gras chase. 2 The history of this region's rural Mardi Gras customs has not been fully documented, so there is no As Mardi Gras festivities begin across Louisiana, local law enforcement agencies are working overtime to ensure the safety of everyone who plans on attending parades during carnival season. The Duson Police Chief, Chief Kip Judice, wants to remind the community and surrounding areas of the gun laws Transportation Tips for Mardi Gras . If you’re visiting NOLA during Mardi Gras, getting around requires some planning since many streets are closed for parades. The best way to get around is by using public transportation, ride shares, or your good old feet. Pro Tip: Stay near the parade routes to save your energy for the festivities. The official colors of New Orleans Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold. The Krewe of Rex chose these colors in 1872 in part to honor the Russian Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich Romanov, who visited New Orleans during that year’s carnival season. The outlook for Mardi Gras Day, Tuesday, now that's a totally different story. You're going to need to not only plan to get wet, but there could be much stronger storms and even severe storms across Louisiana during the pinnacle of most Mardi Gras celebrations in the state. For a large part of Louisiana, this isn’t the true Mardi Gras. We’re talking about local Cajun Mardi Gras—complete with a chicken chase! Cajun Mardi Gras, or Courir de Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday Run), has been a staple in southern Louisiana for hundreds of years. The tradition dates back to 17th-century Europe; Europeans who settled in the As tourists descend on Louisiana and thousands flock to Carnival parades this weekend, some New Orleans area residents will be observing their own time-honored tradition — getting out of town. In 1971, "Le Capitaine" leads his band of riders at the rural Cajun Mardi Gras in Southwest Louisiana. During Cajun Mardi Gras, revelers go on a "chicken run'' to catch a bird to put in a large
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