My First Mardi Gras in New Orleans

“Laissez les bons temps rouler” as they say at Mardi Gras. Let the good times roll! My first experience of Mardi Gras New Orleans lived up to the saying! We had a blast attending four, very different parades, ate a lot of great food and throughly enjoyed ourselves. The people of Louisiana are among the friendliest! They know how to have a good time and want to share their joie de vivre with others.

Mardi Gras season called Carnivale actually starts in January with Epihany and ends on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), the day before Ash Wednesday. The largest and more famous parades are late in the season, but you can catch a few throughout the season. This might be a great option if you are a bit nervous about the crowds or party atmosphere.

Throw Me Something, Mister

I was overwhelmed by how much they throw from the floats. And no, indecent exposure is not required. You can join in the fun of yelling – “Throw me something mister” – or just raise your arms up. Lucky for me, my husband is pretty tall so his arm reaches far and can catch a lot. Though, I was impressed by how much I caught. The trick is to get a float rider’s attention and look pleadingly or say please. At least that seemed to work for me in getting the more “valuable” items.

What was really impressive are the people along the route. Nearly everyone around us were generous, kind and just there to have fun. They chatted with us and even shared some of their bounty. We were about three rows back from the barricade, but when someone in our group asked to stand by the barricade to wave to a friend on a float, the folks who had staked out their spot at 7:30 a.m. were happy to let them come forward.

The night floats feature lots of colored lights, but all the floats were very impressive. Even the local parade on the West Bank had lots of lit parade entries and grand floats. They also feature bands from high schools and universities, a few from as far away as Georgia.

Krewes of Fun

Each parade is put on by a Krewe or organization, usually named after a mythical god or goddess. I learned that the Krewes are independent from each other and there is no ruling organization for Mardi Gras. They each choose their theme, raise money to help charities, and fund their parades themselves. I also read that the riders usually spend $1000 of their own money on throws! The city helps organize the timing and routes along with the barricades and security.

The most irreverent Krewe is Tucks. Started by a couple of college students, they are named for Friar Tuck and are known for their potty humor including throws of ice molds of poop, toilet paper, and their famous plungers. This year, they chose the theme “Tucks Loves a Great Pair.” To illustrate their theme, they had floats dedicated to great pairs such as Barbie and Ken, Guns and Roses, Alcohol and Bad Decisions. The first float featured a big favorite – , Dolly Parton and her famous pair.

The riders throw beads and items specific to their theme of the float or the Krewe. For instance, Krewe of Iris, an all female and the largest parade, threw flowered bracelets and rainbow crowns befitting their muse, the goddess of rainbows. This year’s theme – “Iris,They all Ask for You” – paid tribute to the victims of the New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street. Each float featured a regal animal asking for “you” and the riders threw socks, necklaces and toys of the animal of their float. I caught a pair of socks from the Tiger float!

The Krewe of Bacchus was on Sunday night and featured floats themed around great fairs and festivals of Louisiana. Of course, that meant we caught throws featuring alligators, crawfish, and more. Shaq O’Neill was the King of the Krewe this year and threw special basketballs, which sadly we did not see.

Zulu and Rex finish out the parade season on the morning of Fat Tuesday. We planned to get up and attend, but due to forecasted storms, they moved the parades to a start time of 6:30 a.m. We did not make it up in time. Though, since the parades often last for several hours, we could have caught the end of it.

Plan Your Trip

Overall, Mardi Gras was a blast. We added to the fun by camping with several friends, enjoying a lot of local dishes and visiting Mardi Gras stores to find our outfits. The Mardi Gras Apparel in Harvey on the Westbank has a great selection of clothes.

Honestly, I have never wanted to attend Mardi Gras for fear of the crowds and inaccessible bathrooms. But it was really easy to move around and I felt very safe. The bathroom situation was less easy, but with careful planning, that worked out as well.

I recommend you plan your trip to visit this iconic and unique celebration. Learn a bit of the history by picking up the Arthur Hardy Mardi Gras Guide. Dress up in purple, gold and green and just enjoy!

Tips for “the” Mardi Gras

1. Sit down: Take an easy to carry chair. You spend a lot of time waiting for the parade to start and standing so it is good to rest a while. That cement sidewalk is hard on your legs! The parades are also very long, some of them taking several hours to complete so you might want to rest during the bands and non-float entries.
2. Stay hydrated: The weather for Mardi Gras can be hot or cold depending on the year. Take plenty of water but also be aware of where the porta-potties are located. Unfortunately, they are bunched together and often several blocks away. The businesses surrounding the parades are often closed for sit-in service and their restrooms are off limits, even for patrons.
3. Take a bag: Be sure to carry a large bag for your booty. I was amazed at how many throws we acquired. We did not take a bag, but luckily one of the Krewes threw empty bead bags. We ended up with two large and very full bags to take home!
4. Food: Take snacks or pack a meal if you want to stay for a full day. The best prepared had chairs, ice chests of drinks and food, bags for their catches and layers of clothes. While there are vendors around selling food, they might not be close or not your kind of food. The smartest parade goers get there early and make a day out of picnicking and waiting for parades.
5. Layer up: Dress appropriately and by that I mean, look the part of a Mardi Gras attendee. Wear colors and wild hats or boas. You want to attract attention especially if you want to nab some beads. But also be aware of the forecast and bring layers. We went from cool in the shade to hot in the sun and back to shade within a few hours – in one spot.
6. Get there early: You want to be as close to the barricade as possible. While some of the riders had great arms and could throw beads to the back of the crowd, it was harder to throw some of the lighter, speciality items far or they tended to drop them down to the folks on the barricade since they were easily seen. And in New Orleans, the barricades are strong and meant to hold you back. Don’t get in front of them unless you want to be injured. Those floats are often as wide as the street.
7. Kid friendly: Speaking of dropping throws, take a cute kid with you if you have one. They love to give the kids the fun plush toys and speciality items. I would feel very comfortable taking kids to the day parades which are more family friendly. The night ones might be harder. While the parade is still friendly, it can last several hours past bedtime and the crowds are a bit more rowdy after a day of drinking.
8. Parking: It was not nearly as difficult as we imagined. We went into town on the last Saturday and Sunday of Mardi Gras. Most locals are off work from Friday to Fat Tuesday so downtown is less crowded. There were several lots with a variety of costs from $40 to $75 for the day. We ended up in a garage off Perdido St. We walked up Perdido to St. Charles where we found a great spot to watch, not far from the grandstand. We were there about two hours before the parade started and three and half before it reached us.
9. Directions: Make sure you have a plan for driving in New Orleans. Many of the highways split and it is easy to take a wrong turn. Try to avoid anywhere near French Quarter if possible.
10. Apps: We loved having the parade app since it showed when the parade started and where it was. It was easy to see when it would get to us so we could plan our bathroom and food breaks. FYI – the same app tracks other New Orleans parades including the great St. Patrick’s Day.

Where to Stay:

• Campgrounds:
  • Bayou Segnette State Park is about a 20 minute drive over the river. The Park has electrical and water with a dump station and the sites are wide apart.
    • Some sites have narrow asphalt pads so if you are a large trailer, be sure to check your site before trying to park.
    • This trip, the facilities and care was disappointing. Last time we stayed there, it was was much better maintained. The bathrooms were still fairly clean, but the toilets often clogged and once the showere water was not hot. It also seemed like the trash dumpsters were always overflowing. They are under new management now so hopefully this will all get fixed. They do offer laundry facilities as well.
    • . Make sure to get the Senior discount if you are 62 or over. With the discount, we were there for two weeks for under $200.
  • French Quarter RV Park – We have never stayed here but have heard good things. Located sortof under a highway, it is the closest campground to the French Quarter.
• Hotel:
  • There are plenty of great hotels in New Orleans but for Mardi Gras, I would recommend the Hilton on St. Charles. Nearly every parade goes right by its front door.

While in New Orleans

There is much to do and see in New Orleans. We suggest the following:

• Visit the Museum of Mardi Gras
• Plan a day at the National World War II Museum
• Take a food tour. New Orleans is known for its food. We had a great time trying on a walking tour of the French Quarter where we tried several speciality dishes and cocktails. Ask for Jack if you do Destination Kitchen!
• Tour the Sazarac House on Canal Street to learn the history and story behind the drink of New Orleans. It is a great exhibit and free tour which includes a few free tastes of cocktails as you wind your way through.
• Eat a muffaletta at Central Grocery. They recently reopened after being closed after the hurricane so it looks a bit different but the muffalettas still taste as good.