New Orleans Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras · New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Purple, green and gold floats, and the beads thrown from them caught by outstretched hands: New Orleans' liveliest carnival before Lent.
Know before you go
- Don't run into the road to pick up beads while floats are moving
- don't cross the barricades
- don't leave rubbish at the roadside
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Carnival season starts on 6 January, Twelfth Night, and ends on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras); the next day Lent begins. Carnival societies (krewes) organise float parades, throwing beads, cups and small souvenirs from the floats to the crowds.
Local customs
- Spectators wave at the floats to ask for beads
- families often stake out spots along St Charles Avenue to picnic and watch the parades
- purple, green and gold are the carnival colours
Religion & beliefs
Rooted in the Catholic calendar: Mardi Gras is French for 'Fat Tuesday', the last day before Lent.
Etiquette
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
Driving in the US: what to do when police pull you over
- Signal right and pull over safely to the right
- Roll down your window after stopping, before the officer reaches you
- At night, turn on the interior light
- Keep both hands on the wheel and ask passengers to keep their hands visible too
- Getting out and walking towards the police car
- Suddenly reaching for the glovebox, a pocket or under the seat
Sudden movements may be read as a threat and become dangerous. The wording of the rules varies slightly between states.
Not yet verifiedSource: Texas Department of Public Safety driver handbook
Don’t DON'T
- Don't run into the road to pick up beads while floats are moving
- don't cross the barricades
- don't leave rubbish at the roadside
Locals appreciate DO
Locals appreciate visitors who keep to parade order, take their rubbish away and let children have the front row.
Plan your visit
Practical info
| 2027 dates | February 9, 2027 |
|---|
Travel tips
- In 2027 Fat Tuesday is 9 February
- the official parade schedule is as published on MardiGrasNewOrleans.com
- crowds are densest in the French Quarter, so with children choose parade routes through residential areas
2027 schedule
- Fat Tuesday is 9 February 2027
- parades are held on the weekends in the weeks before.
Photos
Photos
Sergey Galyonkin · CC BY-SA 2.0
Miguel Discart · CC BY-SA 2.0
