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New Orleans is cranking up the volume for Mardi Gras 2025, and there’s excitement in the air for what is often hailed as the greatest free show on earth. This iconic festival, culminating on Tuesday, March 4, is deeply rooted in Christian and Roman Catholic traditions but has evolved into a secular celebration. 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. 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. When is Mardi Gras 2025? This year, Mardi Gras, which translates from French to "Fat Tuesday," is on March 4. Ash Wednesday is on March 5, the day marking the start of the 40-day Lenten season Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a one to a three-month stretch of the year in which the streets come alive with music, art, and costumed revelers. Beginning on Twelfth Night, January 6, the best season of the year is upon us: king cake, bead-tossing, and parading begins and only increases as we make our way toward Mardi Gras Day. The Krewe of Zulu takes the turn onto Canal Street from St. Charles Avenue on Mardi Gras, Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015, in New Orleans. Aid and Pleasure Club parade on In February 2021, the usual bustle of New Orleans’ Canal Street stopped when onlookers noticed that the stone pedestal, which had once held a bronze statue dedicated to Confederate President Mardi Gras in New Orleans: what to eat, drink and do. Most parades roll through Uptown along Napoleon and St. Charles Avenues before turning onto Canal Street. Notable exceptions include 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 Because Mardi Gras’s timeline is based on the Catholic calendar, the actual date is a moving target that falls in February or March; check out future dates here. Pop culture prep work. Best Mardi Gras TV Show Treme, Season 1, Episode 8: All On a Mardi Gras Day "Treme" was David Simon’s love letter to New Orleans, its people, and its culture. 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. Grandstands. If you want to be as close to the action as possible but don’t want to stand in crowds, then booking into one of the grandstands is an excellent idea.. When it comes to figuring out where to watch the Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans, you won’t be surprised to learn that the grandstands are highly popular. Laissez les bon temps rouler! New Orleans is always great to visit but Mardi Gras season is special! Make sure to catch the Endymion and Bacchus parades, and the Zulu parade on Mardi Gras day. In February 2006, New Orleans held its Mardi Gras celebrations despite the fact that Hurricane Katrina had devastated much of the city with massive flooding the previous August. Attendance was at 2025 New Orleans Mardi Gras is less than two weeks away, Several roads will close during the parades and parking can be a hassle. Here is a guide for beginners and experts alike. The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) operates bus routes across the city. Some regular routes are altered during the Mardi Gras season: All parade detours start two hours before the parade start time. Detours will remain in place until clean up crews’ finish cleaning the parade route. A no parking on the parade route sign on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans is still covered in beads one week past Mardi Gras. On Mardi Gras Day, Tuesday, Feb. 13, street parking will be free. The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office said it is sending 200 deputies to help patrol Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and the Louisiana State Police said it will deploy another 150 troopers to New Orleans to enhance security in the Central Business District, on local highways and in the French Quarter. 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 may be an ancient celebration but there's always something new to discover. As the krewes announce their 2025 themes, throws and celebrity monarchs and riders, we'll post that information here
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Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.