Mardi Gras day -- St. Charles will be packed (and people will be camping out the night before to save spots on the parade route), but you'll get a handful of the experience, for sure. There are some parades that run through the quarter, which can be fun, but be aware, this is usually where the nudity happens as well (which is fine if you're The weekend before Mardi Gras all the action is on this route, but Lundi and Mardi Gras most of the action is downtown. Uptown parades (the ones on St. Charles) are the ones with the big elaborate floats that throw all the beads, downtown parades (usually start in the Marigny but go through parts of the French Quarter, Treme and Bywater) are Go to parades, enjoy mardi gras instead of the french quarter, stay uptown and go to napoleon and st charles and see mardi gras instead of just a bunch of drunk tourists begging for shitty beads. Go to mardi gras and catch the good stuff, see the magnificent floats, and enjoy some red beans at fat Harry's. While Mardi Gras has a somewhat seedy reputation, that misconception is largely fueled by drunken and misbehaved tourists unaccustomed to New Orleans' special brand of partying. First off, Mardi Gras, French for "Fat Tuesday" is actually just one day, the culmination of a month-long Carnival Season. It's also a statewide public holiday in First-Timers New Orleans Mardi Gras Guide. Mardi Gras, which means “Fat Tuesday” in French, is a carnival celebration that takes place in many parts of the world, but is especially famous in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. The festival is held annually on the day before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the Christian season of The Mardi Gras season lasts from Jan. 6 until Mardi Gras day, which in 2025 is March 4. All locals know that Mardi Gras is a marathon and not a sprint, so below are some tricks of the trade to help you enjoy Mardi Gras like a pro. Dress comfortably. From head to toe, all Mardi Gras pros know that being comfortable is the key to having a good time. Mardi Gras isn't the time to hold back and throw on jeans and a t-shirt. It might even be time to go on a shopping spree. Have fun with it. Where to stay during Mardi Gras. If it's your first Mardi Gras, you're likely going to want to be in the middle of all the action — as you should be. New Orleans Mom is here to help! Below are some of the best tips for Mardi Gras beginners and enjoying this New Orleans tradition with kids. While you shouldn’t plan to sleep a lot during Carnival season (yes, you need to let go of nap time), you should plan for New Orleans memories to last a lifetime. 22 Tips for Mardi Gras Beginners Learn the lingo: Mardi Gras words you need to know. Wanna walk the walk? Gotta talk the talk! Before we dive in deep, here are words you need to know: Mardi Gras: “Fat Tuesday” in French. Krewe: A themed parade group. There are hundreds—if not thousands—in New Orleans. Namesake krewes of large parades are often made up of many smaller Shreveport Reddit users tell all when it comes to Shreveport Mardi Gras parades. User MyyWifeRocks shares some tips in case you want to leave early: If you’re wanting an earlier night for Gemini or Centaur then you can set up on Clyde Fant near downtown. The parade starts there so it’s over first. All the floats still have throws then too. Im going on Mardi Gras next February. Really looking forward to it. When we sailed on Mariner of the Seas at the start of the month, Mardi Gras was leaving Port Canaveral at the same time. Everyone in our group was jealous, though mostly because of the roller coaster. The roller coast looks cool, but im not excited about spending $15/ride. DO. NOT. Pee in public, for example, on a building on a side street. You could be arrested and when you’re arrrested during Mardi Gras, you’re staying in jail until Mardi Gras is over. People will rent port-o-potties and charge people (giving out bracelets like a bar) for access. Welcome to Carnival, also known as Mardi Gras. For 2024, Carnival runs from January 6th to February 13th. What, when, and where are the parades? Parades are at the heart of the Mardi Gras experience. Riders and marchers pay handsomely to produce a huge-ass party on wheels, and you’re invited- for free! For food read the FAQs and search the sub. Otherwise the only thing going on is Mardi Gras. Go to all the parades. Try out watching some on Canal or in the CBD, and then some others farther uptown on St Charles (like, near 2nd Ave-ish). Don’t plan on vacationing in New Orleans during Mardi Gras unless you are coming specifically for Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is also the worst time to experience the "real New Orleans" as the entire city is centered around the parades. Most restaurants and attractions will be closed and there will be insanely long wait times for the ones that are A lot of folks like to party through Lundi Gras night (e.g., Galactic at Tips) and finish with Zulu and Rex parades before passing out at noon. This typically requires drugs. I used to do that but now highly recommend getting some decent sleep before heading to the Treme around 7am MG morning to spot Indians (the various tribes tend to swing by You do not need to bring beads. If you’re doing the real Mardi Gras and not the touristy Bourbon St. Mardi Gras, you will catch more beads than you can even carry. Definitely bring costumes! Wigs! Sequins! Fringe! Whatever! Balls areeh. It might be fun if you go with a group of friends, but then you have to figure out how to get a bunch of A bunch of friends and I are headed down to Mardi Gras this year as one last hurrah before we all start getting married and babies and such. We will So I was bringing a friend to his first Mardi Gras and he arrived that Thursday. His Airbnb was out that way so we were driving past them about 2:00 p.m. and he was like "I can't believe people are sitting out here waiting for a parade that doesn't start for 4 hours!" If you want to watch it - I'd suggest heading towards the end of the parade route. So past the corner of Flinders St & South Dowling. You'll want a milk crate or something to stand on.
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