Survival guide for your first Mardi Gras
From the second a string of beads hits your head from an unknown direction, you will know. Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Louisiana has begun. For newcomers to this mega-party, it can be completely overwhelming to make sense of the madness that descends on the city for a long weekend once a year. Instead of landing in chaos, we’ve put together a survival guide so you can get through your first Mardi Gras with good memories, a full stomach and stories to tell for years to come.
Why go to Mardi Gras?
Mardi Gras is pure fun. Everyone is smiling, dancing and enjoying the environment. It’s a celebration, primarily, and who doesn’t enjoy good-natured fun? Mardi Gras may be celebrated elsewhere in the world and even in the United States, but there is not another city in the United States that has celebrated as long or as successfully as New Orleans. It’s been a part of the city’s culture for about as long as it has existed, and you won’t get the same soulful, exuberant and unique experience anywhere else in the world. Mardi Gras in New Orleans is definitely worth adding to your travel bucket list.
What is Mardi Gras?
How can we explain this succinctly? Mardi Gras is billed as the World’s Biggest Party and the yearly celebration never disappoints. To start at the beginning, Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday”. Essentially, it is the last big bash before Lent begins when practicing Catholics must sacrifice something (think of people saying “I gave up chocolate for Lent”). Technically, Mardi Gras is just one day, but the season of partying lasts much longer than one day in New Orleans. The Carnival season begins on January 6th each year with the Feast of the Epiphany. This is when a number of formal balls are thrown around New Orleans and everything gets underway. From there on out, the festival schedule gets continually more crowded and busy with parades, performances, specials, and more.
When is it?
Mardi Gras is always the day before Ash Wednesday. Since the dates for Ash Wednesday change every year, so do the dates for Mardi Gras.
Do I need to plan ahead?
Absolutely. Plan, plan, plan, and then when you think it’s all been figured out…plan some more.
The most important part of your travel plans to consider is your accommodation. As soon as you know you will be going to Mardi Gras, make your reservation. Most hotels will require at least 4-5 nights stay and they begin taking reservations in August the year before, so the sooner you act, the better deals you will swing.
Additionally, think about the weather, the location of your hotel, transportation, what to pack, how much you need to budget for meals, ways to keep yourself safe, what kind of travel insurance is the best for you, and what costume you’ll be wearing while walking Bourbon St.
Then as the trip gets closer, rethink the costume, remember you’ll need a lot of changes of clothes, pack the less-valuable camera, consider just how much you’ll be walking, standing, and dancing—then do a couple wind sprints and push-ups to get yourself ready for all the physical exertion.
Survival tips
- Respect the police. They are often overworked during Carnival and they are good at their jobs. Sassy or contrary comments will not be taken lightly, and no one wants to spend Mardi Gras in a holding cell.
- If you want to see a parade you are going to have to leave the French Quarter. Try heading to Canal Street at the very edge of the French Quarter for your best chance of seeing a parade without going far.
- Carnival is a season (Jan 6-Ash Wednesday); Mardi Gras is a day (date changes every year). It’s an important distinction to remember.
- If you are travelling with kids, stick to the area on St. Charles Avenue between Napoleon Avenue and Lee Circle. The mood for this area is kid-friendly and G-rated.
- The Mardi Gras party ends strictly at midnight. No, seriously. As the clock strikes midnight, mounted police start through the streets clearing the crowds. Lent has officially begun so the party is complete. Do your best to be off the streets by midnight or risk getting caught up in the herding.