Mardi Gras New Orleans

Mardi Gras New Orleans Louisiana! To me it's the ultimate celebration of food, music and a festive parade! It's like Macy's parade X Rated. Or at least that's how I remember it. I still get excited every year. For now I just get out my copy of the movie Easy Rider and feel the excitement and trip out watching the movie! If you can get there plan your trip way in advance. This isn't the 60's anymore!I'm recommending! Plus not only is tomorrow 02/13/2024 Mardi Gras, tomorrow is also Fat Tuesday!

Wheeeeww! It's a party, it's a party, it's a par-taaaay!!! My first time ever in NOLA and it so happened to be during Lundi Gras and Fat Tuesday. When I tell you that it was LIT, bay-beh! I mean... Geezus. What. An. Experience. I've gotta be honest though, I'm not much of a partier at ALL these days. I was barely makin' it through, but I did it y'all. Stayed out late to catch the bright and beautiful parades and festivals. Boogied down to the live music on Royal Street. And yes, I even made an appearance on the ever so cray cray Bourbon street too. Hey; you only live once, folks! I came, I saw, I conquered. Mardi Gras is a great excuse to experience the lively festivals and traditions of NOLA. There are so many fun parades that go on during Mardi Gras season. I was able to catch 3 different parades and all were fun. The people here are so incredibly kind that it kind of made me feel uncomfortable at first. I didn't know how to take the compliments and well wishes from strangers because in my hood, we don't really talk to strangers. But after a day of nearly being greeted by everyone who came into my path, it became pleasant. The southern hospitality is real and I loved it dearly. The costumes are AMAZING!!! I felt super underdressed. Both men and ladies dress up for the occasion during Mardi Gras. You'll find street performers everywhere, but many of them are on Bourbon and Royal street. There are beads everywhere. Literally everywhere! On the streets, on furniture, on you, and on me. People are so happy and excited to celebrate. The smiles are contagious and so is the energy. But whew, if you are not a people person, it can be A LOT. Tons and TONS of people. Lots of drunkards and half naked peeps running around too. So, I feel like I experienced the extremity of it because I was there on Fat Tuesday which of course is the largest celebration. I probably wouldn't come back during Fat Tuesday again because it was too wild for lil' ol' me, but I'd definitely come back during the earlier season to catch more of the parades. Still a fun experience and now I know the true magic of Mardi Gras in NOLA.

IYKYK - ladders, king cake, fried chicken on the curb, dancing in the street, new friends that become lifelong friends, and the bands where you can feel that percussion in your soul. Dance like nobody is watching. Carnival is everything.

Mardi Gras 2020oMg! Where do I even begin! This was my first Mardi Gras experience in New Orleans. Learned a few things from our tour guides during our short adventure:1) The original Mardi Gras started in 1703 in Mobile when French settlers celebrated at Twenty-Seven Mile Bluff, the first settlement in the city. Yup! Before New Orleans, there was Mobile, Alabama. The celebration was small and not what people think of Mardi Gras today!2) Mardi Gras is not always celebrated on a particular date. It is the Day before Ash Wednesday, 47 days before Easter so count back 47 days before Easter and you'll get your Mardi Gras day. This year was February 25... 2021 date will be February 16. 3) Mardi Gras is a season! It starts sometime in January and ends on "Fat Tuesday." Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday" -- meaning it is the last opportunity to eat rich food before the fast of Lent begins (Catholics).4) King Cake! I didn't know anything about the King Cake until Yelper Russ B mentioned it. I didn't know they came in many flavors but the two main flavors are these two flavors -- cinnamon and vanilla. Cream cheese runs a close third. A King cake is a puff pastry cake that is traditionally eaten on January 6 in honor of Epiphany, which historically marks the arrival of the three wise men/kings in Bethlehem who delivered gifts to the baby Jesus. I hand carried a cinnamon King cake back to California to share with my co-workers. If you find the baby in your slice it symbolizes luck and prosperity to whoever finds it in their slice of cake. Originally, the baby was placed in the cake to symbolize baby Jesus. That's cool :)5) Krewe! A krewe in New Orleans (pronounced "crew") is a social organization that puts on a parade or ball for the Carnival season. We enjoyed a few of them: Krewe of Tucks on Feb 22 (generous with their bead throwing), Krewe of Orpheus on Feb 24 "Lundi Gras" (prefers to throw their beads and souvenirs to the balconies). On Mardi Gras, Feb 25, we watched Krewes of Zulu and Rex.So much fun!! TIP: Super Bowl + Mardi Gras = Super Gras! The 2024 Super Bowl will be on February 4, right in the middle of Mardi Gras season (much like the 2013 Super Bowl). Party on!Review #1710

Mardi Gras 2020 was everything we hoped and more! I have to say I was not prepared for the level of fun this trip had in store for me. I'm a bit of an introvert so late nights out with lots of drunk people is just generally not my thing..well at least it wasn't until Mardi Gras I discovered. Let's start with the city of New Orleans. This has to be one of the most unique and stimulating cities I've ever been to. While I can admire the tchnology of ultra modern cities like Hong Kong or Tokyo, there's just something about a restored black smith's shop turned bar or a 18th century French Colonial house turned restaraunt that I just can't get enough of. The history alone here could keep me busy for days. The feel and vibe of this historical Creole city is as unique as the architecture it bore.Okay let's talk food next, I know that's what you're all waiting for. The fresh seafood with Creole flair is life altering. I'm still amazed that there are so many restaurants here in the heart of the South that cater to gluten free. I've had some wonderful gf food including jambalaya, Louisiana crab cakes, and alligator sausage just to name a few. From senational street food to celebrity chef restaurants to gourmet prix fix dining. Ok now that we've explored and eaten let's party. The parades were super fun with floats tossing out light up favors and of course lots of beads. The best parades by far though were the spontaneous walking parades that would spark in the streets of the French Quarter by people in costume. The costumes on Fat Tuesday were truly elaborate and diverse. We could have walked around and looked at those costumes and danced in those parades all day.Lastly I want to comment on the people of Mardi Gras, and there were alot! Crowds are generally so pushy and rude but everyone we interacted with was so friendly and there was just a general feeling of love and positivity. People smiled, hugged, yelled happy carnival, and were joyous. There was bead throwing without bias or prejudice and body positive comments for anyone I saw participate. I loved hearing people tell one another they were beautiful, handsome, sexy, stunning.. just generally spreading expression of love and appreciation. If I got pushed accidentally, people all around me reached out to catch me. When I lost my husband in the crowd and was crying, a man handed me a light up rose and a girl texted my husband where to find me. We didn't see a single fight while there and even my husband was astounded by the genuine commrodary of the experience.We feel grateful we got a chance to experience carnival and explore New Orleans.

It's a little somber this year as instead of roaming the streets full of love, embracing the city with a big hug, and seeing everyone donned in their costumes they've planned for weeks, we are instead reminded and reminiscent as to why Mardi Gras is so special for New Orleanians.2021 showed us that it's the locals who really define the culture and passion that New Orleans is known for worldwide. Even in the midst of the pandemic, our city rallied with Yardi Gras, a plethora of signature and new king cakes around town, and a build up for Mardi Gras (hopefully next year) that will spill into a newfound era of appreciation.2020 Mardi Gras was magical and it's surreal to see how much has changed. The parades, magic in the air, costumes, krewes, and everything else that is Mardi Gras was the very last hoorah for the year before we moved into the pandemic.I'm hopeful for 2022 and can't wait to see the built up demand for Mardi Gras as I'll definitely be thinking of my Mardi Gras Costume soon. Who am I kidding... of course I've already thought about 2022.So yes I may be working from home today in 27* weather, but it's been a great reminder as to why I love Mardi Gras so much. I can't wait to safely enjoy Mardi Gras next year and have a zero care mentality and see everyone else celebrating on the streets.

"Laissez les bon temps rouler"/ Let the good times roll. The 'house float' movement started almost as soon as a New Orleans spokesman announced that parades were cancelled. To avoid overcrowding on the day, houses were to be decorated at least two weeks before Mardi Gras 'Fat Tuesday' which is today.

I don't mean to rain on anyone's parade but I am on the neutral ground side of Mardi Gras.There are things I love about Mardi Gras and things I really hate. Let's start with the love.I love Mardi Gras music. I mean mad love. I can Iko Iko all day. Don't even get me started with Mardi Gras Mambo. I have heard MG songs all my life and have some really great childhood memories associated with them. I love the talent that goes into making the floats. If you go to a parade and are in it for the throws and miss the very beauty of our floats, you're missing the whole point.Also I love the enthusiasm that is in the air during MG season. It's infectious. The colorful costumes and wigs make it a lot of fun especially if you love people watching like I do.Ok so on to the hate....I hate crowds. Like a lot lot. And MG is c-r-o-w-d-e-d. And these crowds are rude. I've seen locals push toddlers out of the way to get a plastic bead. Even if you have a 'spot' expect a rude person to work their way in front of you as soon as the parade starts rolling. It's ridiculous. I hate the rampant sexual harassment that MG brings out in men and women. My very first New Orleans parade was while I was spending the holiday with my aunt and uncle. I was all excited waving for beads when one of the men motioned for me to lift up my shirt and he'd throw them to me. I was appalled and 12 years old at the time. Needless to say I didn't get those beads.So yeah...neutral ground side.It can be a great time and I still want a shoe from Muses so if you've made it to the end of my review here's my advice...be aware of your surroundings, go in a group (if you are a lady bring a guy who has your best interests at heart) and if you're visiting do us a favor and don't treat our city badly.

I went to my first New Orleans Mardi Gras parade two years ago. I was always afraid to go because of the crowds and some violence. But a friend of ours had a house on one of the parade routes so we went out there. I found a good spot to stand and we watched two parades. The floats were beautiful and elaborate! We were in a good family section so it didn't get too crowded. I loved the music most of all. It did amaze me how many adults would push kids out the way to get beads. If you do go with kids, watch out for those kind of people. And put your wallet in your front pocket. Everyone gets real close on each other.

This Mardi Gras is a non stop party. Day 1/Friday we rode on the Float with the Morpheus Krewe. These people are genuinely good and positive. They get no recognition of their perspective businesses, No one promotes themselves. They spend major dollars to selflessly promote and support the greater New Orleans. We dressed in costumes and threw out beads to the thousands of citizens that came out for the fun. It's wild how crazy everyone gets for our beads. Our beads (all sizes, with a few attendees showing their "girls" for the bigger beads, happy to oblige..:), stuffed animals, soft footballs and moon pies. Our route was 4 miles through the city taking a number of hours. It was insane exhausting good fun. The rest of the week we could watch others follow us then the great food and sites of this city. Thanks for reading. Avram Doumiafeyva