11 Tips to Have the Best Mardi Gras

Bead trees pop up all over the city during Mardi Gras - a sign that a good time has been had in this spot

Mardi Gras is upon us – an entire season dedicated to sparkles, parties, and dancing in the streets! Carnival begins each year on January 6 (Epiphany) and runs through Mardi Gras Day, also known as Fat Tuesday, which falls 41 days before Easter each year. The full season includes parades, both large and small, parties, balls, and lots of celebration throughout the entire city of New Orleans. In the two weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday, you’ll find most of the major parades that take place across the city, and these usually include costumed horseback riders, marching bands and dance teams, as well as hundreds of people riding on giant floats and tossing parade “throws” or trinkets to the onlookers. Mardi Gras is definitely a crowd participation sport, so here are a few tips to help you make sure you have the best Carnival possible:

Have a meet-up plan

A member of the Northside Skull & Bone Gang, one of the many groups integral to the culture of Mardi Gras

Thousands of people line the parade routes in the hours leading up to and throughout the parades. Chances are your cell service will be a little spotty. Make sure you and your crew have a plan of when and where to meet up in case you get separated and can’t connect via phone. Pick an immobile landmark (i.e. not “by the guy with the funny hat and crazy shirt,” but more like “at the corner of such and such street”) and a time to check in so that everyone knows exactly how to reconnect.

Tip often, and tip well

Those in the service industry carry an extra burden during Mardi Gras – they’ve had to fight traffic, parking chaos, drunk crowds, and a lot of extra headaches when it comes to clean-up. Be sure you tip your servers, bartenders, ride share drivers, etc. well to show them some extra love. And be sure you’re tipping in cash – beads and Moon Pies are great parade throws, but they are not legal currency.

Be bathroom-aware

Flambeaux carriers, part of the history of Mardi Gras who light the way for nighttime parades

Keep an eye out for bathroom options: bars, port-o-potties, restaurants, etc. The bushes and alleys are not the spots you want to utilize, and if you get caught, you’ll get slapped with a pretty hefty ticket. Trust us, it’s in your best interest to buy an overpriced bottle of water to get you into a bathroom than have to shell out hundreds to the city for public urination.

Creativity and comfort are key

Throughout the Mardi Gras season, you’ll see people wearing just about anything: capes, flower crowns, body paint, sequins, feathers, just about any combination of purple, green, and gold – everything is fair game! Get creative with your wardrobe if the mood strikes, but be sure to keep it comfy too. Chances are you’ll be on your feet and moving around a lot, and those high heeled boots that might’ve seemed like a great idea in the morning just might become your worst enemy by the end of the parade.

Sunscreen, water, snacks

Treat a day on the parade route like a trip to the beach: SPF, hydration, and food are your best friends. Nothing is worse than finding that your elaborate costume has branded you with an equally elaborate sunburn, not to mention that it will make finishing out the parade season pretty uncomfortable. Throw some sunscreen under your glitter and carry on. Throwing back a few bottles of water and some food between adult beverages will also save you the headache (literally) and the hassle of feeling sick on the parade route. You can usually find a good supply of street eats along the way, but a granola bar or two in your bag wouldn’t hurt either.

Don’t touch the horses

You’ll see a lot of horses – a LOT of horses – throughout Mardi Gras. Some of these have parade participants riding, and some are police horses with officers riding to keep crowds under control. Even if you’d consider yourself National Velvet, do everyone a favor and don’t touch the horses. Between the huge crowds, sirens, drumlines, and flashing lights, these animals are already dealing with enough. No need to overwhelm them even more by touching them, especially since it just might land you with a swift, painful kick. Give the horses space, and you’ll have a much better experience, as will they.

Keep an eye out for kids

Mardi Gras parades are for everyone, no matter how small

Despite what you may have seen on tv, much of Mardi Gras is actually pretty family-friendly. If you’re out on the parade route and surrounded by kiddos, be sure to be mindful of them. We all want to catch the good throws, but you also don’t want to put anyone, especially little ones, in harm’s way. And heaven forbid you snatch some beads from a toddler sitting atop a Mardi Gras ladder – you’ll definitely incur the wrath of their parents, which won’t end well for anyone. There’s plenty of parade loot to go around without robbing a child of the magic of Mardi Gras.

Respect the bands

Drum majors from Talladega College, an HBCU located in Alabama whose band performs in many of the parades each year around New Orleans

In most of the parades, especially larger ones, there are high school and college marching bands and dance teams that move between each of the floats. These bands add so much to the Carnival spirit – they are the soundtrack of New Orleans! If you need to get across the parade route for some reason, be sure to wait until the band passes. Most of the time if you don’t, you’ll get pushed back by band parents whose job it is to keep the marchers safe and together. It’s not too difficult to be band-aware and cross after they’ve passed for everyone’s wellbeing.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint

It can be pretty overwhelming when you think of just how much you can do and see during Mardi Gras. Between the parades, the concerts, the balls, and the spontaneous street parties, it can be a lot. Pace yourself. Take breaks. Stay hydrated. And don’t forget to eat. No one likes a cranky friend on the parade route, and there is plenty to see and do, even if you can’t make it to everything. Some of the best parts of Carnival pop up when you least expect it, so leave room for the unexpected, and let the good times roll!

Take it all in

A Mardi Gras Indian, also known as a Black Masking Indian, shows off his new suit on Fat Tuesday

New Orleans shows off its creativity all year long, but especially during Mardi Gras. Be sure to take it all in: indulge in a slice (or several) of king cake, dance along with the brass bands, wander the city to find the ever-elusive Black Masking Indians, marvel at the costumes, and breathe in the beautiful, sparkly chaos that is Carnival. This is a chance to see so many facets of our culture on full display and truly understand that there really is no place like NOLA.