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. Mardi Gras is the last and "biggest day of celebration," according to Mardi Gras New Orleans. What are some other names for Mardi Gras? Fat Tuesday, Shrove Tuesday, the end of Carnival. The Carnival season will end on Mardi Gras, which is now one week away! From parades to colorful beads and masks, there are dozens of traditions involved in Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday In cities across the United States someone or something is almost always watching you. On Tuesday, as Mardi Gras revelers flock to New Orleans to celebrate the end of Carnival, it will be no Mardi Gras 2025 falls on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. Mardi Gras Day is March 4, 2025. Fat Tuesday is the last day of the Carnival season as it always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. The official start of Carnival Season is Twelfth Night, January 6. Book your hotel room now and Reserve your Mardi Gras package Mardi Gras in New Orleans: what to eat, drink and do. As midnight strikes, the NOPD sweeps Bourbon Street, symbolically marking the end of Mardi Gras. If you pace yourself, you can make it to What is the History of Mardi Gras? Mardi Gras originated in New Orleans the day Iberville stood on our land in 1699. Since then, balls have become a tradition of the season to represent members of society. From the past to the present, Mardi Gras is full of traditions. Mardi Gras balls began in the 1700s and still exist today. Because Easter can fall on any Sunday between March 23 and April 25, and Mardi Gras is always 47 days before Easter, Zulu and Rex can roll on any Tuesday between Feb. 3 through March 9. New Orleans weather on Mardi Gras Day can be unpredictable as well. It can be shorts weather in early February and you might very well need a coat in March. Yes, Mardi Gras is celebrated every year with the exception of 2021, when New Orleans parades were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mardi Gras festivities in 2025 are already set in New Carnival celebrations — parties, fancy masked balls and other markers of the season — may start on Jan. 6, but the big buildup to Mardi Gras happens in New Orleans in the final 12 days of the season, with large parades rolling past mansions on St. Charles Avenue and into the downtown area of office buildings and hotels. In some parts of the country, official organizations control their Mardi Gras celebration, but this is not true in New Orleans. Q: When does Mardi Gras start and end? The Carnival season always begins on Jan. 6, which is King’s Day (Feast of the Epiphany). Mardi Gras day (Fat Tuesday), however, is on a different day each year. 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. Most locals refer to Mardi Gras as the final two weekends of the celebration, when most of the parades and events take place. When to Visit for Mardi Gras in New Orleans. You can visit any time during Carnival (between January 6th and March 4th, 2025) to experience parades and festivities. In some parts of the country, official organizations control their Mardi Gras celebration, but this is not true in New Orleans. Q: When does Mardi Gras start and end? The Carnival season always begins on Jan. 6, which is King’s Day (Feast of the Epiphany). Mardi Gras day (Fat Tuesday), however, is on a different day each year. New Orleans Social Clubs or Gentlemen's Clubs play a very large part in the Mardi Gras celebration. The oldest is The Boston Club (third oldest in the United States), founded in 1841 as a place for its members to congregate and partake in the fashionable card game of Boston , Rex Royalty is chosen from among its ranks. Mardi Gras in New Orleans, also known as Carnival, has been in full swing since Jan. 6 and will close with a grand, final celebration on March 4, better known as Fat Tuesday. Originating from Mardi Gras Tips from NOLA Locals: What to Know Before You Go Essential Mardi Gras Advice from NOLA Insiders. New Orleans comes alive during Mardi Gras in ways that are impossible to capture until you’ve seen it with your own eyes. The end of a colorful era. The distinctive Mardi Gras posters we all grew up with will not be returning next year.They have arguably helped set the tone for Carnival Season over the past four decades. 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. Mardi Gras balls were exclusive events closed off from most people outside of New Orleans society until this krewe revolutionized the event. In 1949, Edward Brennan Sr. created the krewe, a carnival Ball open to tourists.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |