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About Mardi Gras

Helpful Tips

Get there early

Parade routes can look empty one moment, but the crowd size can swell fast within an hour or two of the parade, making that front-row spot four or five people deep. For the biggest parades rolling in the evenings on the weekend before Mardi Gras, plan to get there about 4 hours ahead of time to get yourself a great spot!

For the Sunday night Bacchus Parade, we’re at our spot (drum roll here)…at 6:00 am! You can find us on St. Charles Avenue near Napoleon Avenue near the beginning of the parade. We sit wrapped up in a blanket, and enjoy people-watching. That Sunday, several afternoon parades also roll by as the crowds swell for one of the biggest parades of the season–Bacchus. I save the spot until my family shows up, so they can make another area parade taking place in Mid-City! All of this for a parade scheduled to roll at 6:00 p.m.

Dress in costume

It’s the one season of the year when you can dress up as anything imaginable! There are contests for costumes in every part of the city, and the crowd-watching is as much fun as the parades! Bring an inexpensive camera, one you won’t fuss over, or need to protect.

Check the weather forecast

It can be very warm or it can be very cold. Whether or not you costume, it is a day outdoors, so plan accordingly: wear comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and layered clothing.

Catch Mardi Gras Throws

Enjoy jumping up to catch beads, doubloons, cups, stuffed animals–whatever! Yell at the float riders “Throw me something, Mister!” Bring a large, sturdy plastic or cloth bag to hold all the treasure you’ll be catching – if you try to put all of your beads around your neck, you’ll have a hard time standing up straight! Be prepared: some people get so overcome with excitement they will occasionally jump in front of you to grab what a rider has thrown to you. Don’t get into a tug-o-war; there are many more floats on the way! Some visitors from far away hold up a sign saying where they are from: our local riders love to see that people from out of town have a good time, and will throw to them to make sure they do!

Don't reach down to pick up beads, doubloons, etc.

Don’t reach down to pick up beads, doubloons, etc. unless you are very careful! I guarantee your fingers will never be the same! Put your foot on it, and when it’s safe (between floats), you can bend down to pick it up. Everyone who grew up in this area knows how dangerous it can be; kids just have to have those throws and they’re not thinking about the next float!

Practice ladder safety

Ladders are popular and a great way for a good view…but if you bring a ladder, it has to be behind a barricade or as far away from the street as the ladder’s height in the event that the ladder is knocked over. Many people have built seats on the top of their ladders so their children will have a great view!

Have a meeting place

Mardi Gras is huge. Thousands of people are on the street, and it is very easy to get separated. Make sure everyone knows where to meet in case anyone gets lost; and give your children notecards with your name, address, hotel phone numbers, and pre-arranged meeting place on them just in case. Instruct your children to go a police officer if they become lost–officers know what to do, and will return your child quickly.

Don’t take your children to the French Quarter during Mardi Gras

Although this is the area highlighted by the news media, it really has nothing to do with the Mardi Gras celebration. Those of us who grew up here often felt guilty going to parades once we were a little older, and couldn’t wait to have kids so we’d have an excuse to go! Unfortunately, the media often presents Mardi Gras from the French Quarter, where no parades occur.

At this time of year, it is simply an adult area where the risque’ behavior of many visitors to Mardi Gras is tolerated; i.e., revealing costumes and flashing for beads. You do NOT even have to visit the French Quarter to totally enjoy Mardi Gras in New Orleans as the rest of us locals do!

No risqué behavior elsewhere

You may see some people get carried away outside of the French Quarter–this is not a good idea! The police will politely remind them that they are in a family area, and if they don’t stop, they can be arrested. You should also be careful: it is distracting to kids and some adults. I know a man very well who decided to take a picture and was hit in the head by a float. 🙂

Shop

It is a festive time in New Orleans! During the day, listen to jazz musicians as you shop the French Quarter, the Riverwalk and the Brewery, or see the Aquarium (check out NewOrleansCoupons.com for discount coupons for riverboat cruises, New Orleans attractions and restaurants). Before you know it, it’s time for a night parade!

What to bring on a trip to Mardi Gras

The weather can be cold or moderate. Either way bring comfortable clothes for Mardi Gras. If you bring the family, don’t forget to bring bags to stash everything you catch. If you are lucky enough to have an invitation to a Mardi Gras Ball, it’s strictly formal. No dresses above the ankle or pants for women and tuxedos for men. For Mardi Gras day bring a costume.

Don't be late

If you get there too late, do not move unoccupied chairs or ladders along the parade route to claim a good spot…it isn’t open space just because you can’t see anybody there! Families tend to congregate at the same place year after year, save their spots, and get to know their Parade Route neighbors pretty well. Somebody is watching that spot! If you move their chair or ladder, it won’t go unnoticed. Don’t worry, tho….. once the parade starts, there’s always a place for everyone.

Do NOT run into the street

Do not run into the street between floats for a trinket! Floats cannot stop on a dime, and accidents have occurred. Wanna get chased by a cop? Just jump over a barricade, get in a band’s way or start marching in it, aggravate anyone in the marching units or hang on a float, and you are sure to be arrested!

Be careful near the floats

You may decide to put your child or your wife on your shoulders so they can catch special throws from the costumed riders. But be careful, the crowds can swell forward suddenly and unexpectedly, making it easy to get knocked over. Make sure your children do not get too close to the floats when reaching for throws!

Respect the police

These guys are overworked during Carnival. They are the world’s best at crowd control, and during Mardi Gras they have to be tolerant of usually unacceptable behavior. Long shifts, parade duty, drunks, traffic accidents, lost kids, fights, rowdy crowds, nuisance complaints and a myriad of other incidents keep them busy 24 hours a day. If an officer tells you to do something, cooperate!

It’s okay to consume beer openly on the streets as long as it’s in a can or cup; no glass or bottles. However, there is a drinking age and it is enforced.

Don’t be sassy or contrary. The police on duty have an efficient system for arresting, booking, and carting off to Central Lockup. It keeps them available for street duty, and the troublemakers out of the way.

Don’t get overly drunk, be obnoxious, or behave irrationally in public; it is not amusing to police, and is a very easy way to get arrested. If anyone told you that’s what Mardi Gras is about, they were wrong…and they missed out!

Bring the family

The city and suburban parades are for families, too! (Not the French Quarter!) You can bring blankets and picnic baskets, and get there early to enjoy the day! As parade time nears, the crowd will gather everywhere, and you’ll have to put up the blanket and ice chest–don’t be surprised if someone jumps on it to reach a pair of beads!

Plan your meals ahead

Restaurants on the parade route are usually full on the nights of the most popular parades and on Mardi Gras day, so make your plans early with those that accept reservations. If they don’t, plan to wait a while to get a table, eat street vendor food, or pack your own snacks and sandwiches–it will be a long day, so plan ahead! Also, bring wet wipes or tissues with you to clean up before eating. Your hands will get very dirty, and it won’t be easy to find a sink and soap. Public toilets are available, but they are crowded and not usually very clean.

Be careful

If you visit the Quarter at night during Mardi Gras, hide your wallets well–even the front pocket doesn’t work!–and wear shoes that can get dirty. Don’t wear expensive jewelry, and don’t carry a purse. Make sure you get a bathroom pass or wear your wristband if you’re staying in a French Quarter hotel.

With the rise of iPhones and other valuable smartphones, keep on the watch for theft. Phones are easily stolen from unwary paradegoers while walking and texting. Keep your phones in your pockets or purses unless you are talking.

Decide which Mardi Gras you want to see

How you experience Mardi Gras depends on where you see it. The French Quarter and Bourbon Street is generally for adults. There’s a lot of drinking and as you may have seen on TV, a bit of flashing going on. While Mardi Gras in the French Quarter provides a fun and wild experience, it’s also important to remember that nudity is illegal in New Orleans, and that there are hundreds of arrests every year. If your family is with you, head to St. Charles Avenue.

Watch the parades

The best part of the celebration takes place on the parade route watching the crowds and the floats pass by. You can also enjoy special packages put together by businesses along the parade route, offering food and a front-row spot for the passing parade. Or, enjoy celebrity entertainment parties after some of the biggest parades, which travel along beautiful St. Charles Avenue, where the parade first rolls.

Mardi Gras on St. Charles Avenue, the family-friendly Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras on St. Charles Avenue is the place for families. There are parades, throws and, because of the family atmosphere, there’s none of the lewdness of the French Quarter. The crowds can be heavy, but they are friendly.

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