What's Mardi Gras like?
Unless you live in New Orleans, Mardi Gras is probably not what you think. Picturing boobs, booze, and bad behavior? Think more – bands, beads, and babies. Sure, people drink and eat to excess. After all, Carnival is designed for indulgence before Lent. But we're the creators, performers, and hosts of this "largest free party in the world." It means something to our community that goes far beyond drunken revelry.
To understand more about who pays for Mardi Gras and this unique way of sharing our culture with each other and the world, CLICK BELOW.
Laura Cayouette
It's a marathon, not a sprint
It turns out most people think Mardi Gras is a day – and it is! Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday in French and refers to the last day of Carnival – the day before Ash Wednesday. But Carnival actually starts on January 6th every year, no matter when Ash Wednesday lands – meaning the season usually lasts between 34-58 days.
Locals know to pace themselves.
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The large Uptown parades roll Saint Charles Avenue during the last 2 weeks of merrymaking. The final stretch starts on a Wednesday night and continues through to the following Tuesday with parades, parties, balls and other festivities.
The floats are works of art and commentary
Most of the floats are created by locally owned Kern Studios or Royal Artists. Each parade is produced by a Carnival Krewe – the people riding on the floats and footing the bill for that parade. Some Krewes, like Orpheus, Proteus, and Iris, show off gorgeous artistry.
Others, like Muses and d'Etat, feature satirical themes commenting on local and global happenings. The shoebox-parade-inspired ‘tit Rex floats are hand crafted by the people who pull them past crowds leaning in to see the MicroKrewe's satirical mini-floats.
lining up for 'tit Rex
Parade floats are enormous. Tandem floats can be hundreds of feet long. Harry Connick's Orpheus parade features Smokey Mary, an 8-section dazzling smoke-billowing locomotive at least 245 feet long.
Harry Connick, Smokey Mary
The Krewe of Bacchus' signature Bacchagator float is over 100 feet long.
The Krewes throw more than beads
There's been a move toward making Carnival more sustainable. Fewer plastic beads – more throws we can use. This year's treats included a fabulous sling bag, stuffies, a kite, a travel bag with passport holder, face jewels, fanny-packs, fans, socks, tea towels, body glitter, boas, hats, nail files, frisbees, and, of course, go-cups.
There are also signature throws – treasures decorated by hand. The most coveted of these are a Zulu coconut and a Muses shoe, but there are also Iris sunglasses, Tucks' toilet brushes, and much more. I caught a fabulous Krewe of Cleopatra acrylic glass.
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There's so much music!
Many of the floats have music playing and some floats even carry a live band. Between the floats are school bands, dance schools for kids, adult DIY dance groups, and other music makers and shakers.
music and dancing!
The school marching bands may include baton twirling majorettes, a flag-waving color guard, dancers, and a cheer squad. In addition to our city's extraordinary marching bands – schools and universities from across the country strut the Avenue.
Many of the students can defy gravity.
Some of the best times are when the parades aren't moving
Parades can stop for all sorts of reasons and various lengths of time. Every Krewe's royal float stops at Gallier Hall when the front of the parade reaches downtown. A speech may be delivered by the mayor, the monarch, or both. When I rode in the monarch float of the Krewe of Orpheus parade with Quentin Tarantino, there were speeches, a champagne toast, and the key to the city was presented. The whole parade has to stop for this ritual – as do the possible parades stacking up behind them.
Parades also stop for flat tires, faulty tractor engines, accidents/injuries involving people or horses, and other versions of mayhem. If the first parade of a 5-parade day breaks down, delays can spread throughout the day and night. The floats may stop rolling – but the revelry generally continues. I march in the parades (more on that later) and our group, the Pussyfooters, likes to get the crowd line-dancing. During a long break in Krewe of Tucks (the toilet parade), we did the Cupid Shuffle, Flex, the Wobble, and Church Clap. (Follow on IG to see more reels of these dances)
Pussyfooters and the crowd Flexing
Between parades neighbors visit, people eat, and kids hula-hoop, blow bubbles and play football in the street with their newly caught goodies. For many people, the downtime is the best time.
We prepare for months
Krewes select their themes and brainstorm float ideas. Marching bands rehearse in football fields and city side streets. My dance krewe, the Pussyfooters (celebrating 25 years!), starts practicing for the parades in October. New members begin in September! Throughout the city, people gather for months to prepare for the next season.
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The line-up is its own party
The 15-40-ish floats of each parade line up in Uptown neighborhoods, dwarfing the historic homes. Riders stack throws and stock the hooks surrounding their positions on their floats.
prepping floats and dances
Horses gather, some with decorated hooves. Farhad Grotto Bug Patrol's festooned dune buggies, the Rolling Elvi's electric scooters, Les Bonnes Vivantes' bathtubs, the Laissez Boys and Chaissez Ladies' rolling lounge chairs, and other motorized vehicles find their groups.
Chaissez Ladies
Bands and dancers practice while waiting, so there's music everywhere. Families sit on porches and in lawn chairs watching children play with pre-parade throws, and line dance with the Pussyfooters and other dance groups. People wander the organized chaos – hugging, laughing, dancing, eating, drinking, and making merry.
To see more about what it's like to be in a Mardi Gras parade, CLICK BELOW.
Laura Cayouette
Sometimes there are celebrities
Noah Wyle seemed to be having the time of his life as Monarch of Orpheus this year. Patrick Warburton reigned as King of Bacchus. But the locals in the Bacchus crowd were much more excited to see former Saints quarterback, Drew Brees, fresh from being named a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee. New Saints QB, Tyler Shough, was the Grand Marshal of Krewe of Pygmalion, and Cam Jordan served as Grand Marshall of Krewe of ALLA to honor his work in the community. Former Saints punter (and current 49er), Thomas Morstead rode in Legion of Mars – sending me home with a signed football.
Local homeowner, Jennifer Coolidge, was spotted at the Muses line-up, and Trombone Shorty rode his signature float in the Freret parade.
What Mardi Gras feels like
Being in New Orleans during Carnival season is one of those you-had-to-be-there experiences. But if I had to sum it up – it's a season of community and unbridled joy. Our homes look like cyclones hit them, leaving wigs, beads and glitter in their wake. We don't sleep enough and we eat too much. We're outside together day and night – celebrating, laughing, and dancing with family, friends, neighbors, and the city's 1 million visitors.
Whether you're riding in the floats anonymously throwing beads and gifts to outstretched hands, marching in a band, dancing or otherwise strutting your stuff for the crowds – or whether you're one of the many people lining the route, hanging with friends and strangers sharing food and comparing throws – Mardi Gras showers blessings. The weather can be horrible or fabulous (like it was this year). The inconveniences can pile up as strangers block driveways, pee on our homes, fences, cars, etc. and otherwise behave poorly in our neighborhoods. And we all suffer some version of the "Mardi Gras crud" afterward – illnesses ranging from allergies and exhaustion to viruses and diseases brought in by our many visitors. When it's all over, many of us are more than ready to stop running ourselves so ragged. But, we can't wait to do it again next year.
So whether you're the lucky person dancing to bands, watching gorgeous floats roll by and catching treasures – or the people providing the throws and shows – Mardi Gras feels glorious. This joyful child's face is the picture worth a thousand words.
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