Mardi Gras

When: Fat Tuesday in February; the date moves each year and is tied to the Easter/Lenten calendar.

Where: Parades and parties sweep New Orleans, United States, with major routes along St. Charles Avenue and through the French Quarter.

Cost: Most street parades are free to watch; private stands, balcony parties and krewe events require paid tickets.

Don’t miss: The Fat Tuesday processions, night parades, second-line brass bands and sharing a traditional king cake.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans, United States is the city’s long-established pre-Lenten carnival, with roots in European carnival traditions imported by French colonists and adapted by local cultures. Over generations, social krewes formalised parades, masked balls and throws into the ritual that fills the streets each year.

The atmosphere is loud, musical and often theatrical: daytime family parades, exuberant night parades, marching and brass bands, and people in costumes and masks. Major parades run uptown along St. Charles Avenue and through the historic French Quarter, while private krewe balls and balcony parties add formal, ticketed options for viewing.

Parade season in New Orleans traditionally kicks off around Twelfth Night (January 6) and builds through January and February, culminating on Fat Tuesday. The exact date moves each year according to the date of Easter, so the busiest parades and the crescendo of events fall on the last weekend and Fat Tuesday itself.

Expect most large krewes to parade on the weekends leading to Fat Tuesday, with some high-profile night parades and family-oriented rolls scattered throughout the season.

Fly into Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), about a 20 - 40 minute drive into New Orleans depending on traffic; taxis, rideshares and airport shuttles are the most convenient options. If attending peak weekend events, arrive at least a day or two early and book accommodation and any paid parade stands well in advance.

• Arrive early for popular parade routes; streets close and prime viewing spots fill up hours before big parades.
• Wear sturdy, comfortable shoes and layers - February weather can be cool, changeable and sometimes rainy.
• Secure valuables and use a zipped bag or money belt; large crowds make pickpocketing a risk.
• Costumes and masks are part of the fun, but avoid large props that block sightlines or damage historic balconies.
• Public drinking is widely tolerated in New Orleans - use plastic cups, behave responsibly and follow police directions.
• Book hotels, flights and any paid viewing stands or balcony parties several months ahead for the best choices.