Mardi Gras is not one event — it is a civic tradition that runs for two weeks and involves the entire city. Here is how to navigate it: which parades to watch, where to stand, what the krewes are, and why the French Quarter is not where you should spend most of your time.
Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is the culmination of the Carnival season, which begins January 6 (Epiphany/King's Day) and builds across six weeks to the final 10–12 days before the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The date moves annually — it falls 47 days before Easter, between February 3 and March 9 depending on the year. The final two weeks are when the major parades roll and when the city fully transforms.
Understanding the krewes
A krewe is a private Carnival organisation that designs, finances, and operates a Mardi Gras parade. There are over 60 krewes. Each has its own history, membership, route, and parade aesthetic. The major krewes and what distinguishes them:
- Endymion — Saturday before Fat Tuesday. The largest parade with the most floats (over 30). Enormous celebrity attendance. The Endymion Extravaganza ball at the Smoothie King Center follows the parade.
- Bacchus — Sunday before Fat Tuesday. Celebrity monarchs (the Bacchus king changes each year — past kings include Nicolas Cage, Dan Aykroyd, and James Gandolfini). High energy, excellent throws.
- Orpheus — Monday (Lundi Gras). Founded by Harry Connick Jr. One of the most musically focused parades — the floats include live music performances.
- Zulu — Fat Tuesday morning. The predominantly Black social aid and pleasure club parade, founded in 1909. The Zulu coconut is the most prized Mardi Gras throw — hand-decorated, given personally rather than thrown from floats.
- Rex — Fat Tuesday, following Zulu. The "King of Carnival" parade, the most traditional and formal krewe. The Rex king meets the Zulu king on Fat Tuesday — the symbolic handoff that closes the formal Carnival season.
Where to watch
St. Charles Avenue (Uptown) is the best parade route for families and first-timers. The neutral ground (the wide median) provides space, the Garden District houses provide an elegant backdrop, and the crowd is mixed local and visitor. Arrive 2 hours before a major parade for a good spot. Bring a folding chair or ladder (the ladder provides elevation for children and photography — it is standard equipment at the St. Charles route).
Canal Street is the downtown parade terminus — more crowded, more tourist-heavy, but convenient if you are staying in the French Quarter. The parades turn here and the crowd density is highest.
Magazine Street (Uptown) — less crowded than St. Charles, good spot for smaller parades.
The French Quarter during Mardi Gras
The French Quarter is what most people picture for Mardi Gras — the Bourbon Street balconies, the bead throws, the crowds. The reality: the French Quarter during Mardi Gras is extremely crowded, overpriced, and frequently overwhelming. The major parades do not go through the Quarter. The experience is primarily bar-crawling on Bourbon Street.
Go to the Quarter once to see it. Spend the rest of your time uptown at the parades, in the Marigny for live music, and in the neighbourhoods where New Orleans Mardi Gras is actually celebrated.
Throws
The throws (beads, cups, doubloons, stuffed animals, and novelty items thrown from parade floats) are the physical currency of Mardi Gras. Making eye contact with a float rider and signalling is more effective than generic shouting. Children in parade route positions tend to receive better throws than adults. The best throws come from the front sections of major floats. Krewe-specific throws (Zulu coconuts, Endymion jewelled cups) are the collector's items.
Practical logistics
- Book accommodation 6 months ahead. Hotels triple in price during Mardi Gras. The Garden District and Uptown are better bases than the French Quarter for parade access.
- Driving during Mardi Gras is difficult. Parade routes close streets for hours before and after. Use rideshare or the streetcar (St. Charles streetcar runs along the main parade route).
- Carry a bag for throws. You will accumulate beads faster than you expect.
- The best food is not on Bourbon Street. Commander's Palace, Dooky Chase, and Cochon are within reach of the parade routes. Eat well — the food is the other great reason to be in New Orleans.