A guide to marking Mardi Gras in New Orleans
How to get the most from world’s biggest free party
NEW ORLEANS — Revel in the bawdy French Quarter or catch a parade? Which parade?
Do you plan to wear a costume on the big day? Politically themed? Historic? Risque? All of the above?
New Orleans is entering the height of its annual pre-Lenten Carnival season, culminating on Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, which falls on Feb. 28 this year. Travellers to the city face an abundance of choices on how, when and where to take it all in.
Among the things to do:
Watch a parade
This isn’t as simple as it sounds. Deciding where, when and how to catch any of the dozens of New Orleans area parades — and which ones to watch — involves planning.
New Orleans’ major parades, the ones with marching bands and masked riders who throw beads and other trinkets from elaborate floats, begin this year on Feb. 17. Most follow a route along historic St. Charles Avenue onto Canal Street, the broad downtown boulevard at the edge of the French Quarter — although the giant floats of Endymion, the celebritystudded procession set for Feb. 25, lumber through the Mid-City neighbourhood.
You can join the throngs on the route. They show up with lawn chairs, ice chests, trays of barbecue, buckets of fried chicken and step ladders with little seats bolted to the top to give the kids a better vantage point.
You can pay big bucks at one of the fine-dining restaurants that erect bleachers out front so you can catch the processions while sipping your Sazerac cocktail.
Often overlooked are smaller processions. For instance, Krewe du Vieux’s satirical and raunchy parade with smaller, hand-drawn floats rolls through the French Quarter and neighbouring areas on Feb. 11. A week later, sci-fi, fantasy and horror fans don costumes evoking any of a variety of pop culture icons from Ewoks to zombies for the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus stroll through the Marigny neighbourhood.
Be in a parade
Getting a spot in a Carnival parade is the ultimate participatory Mardi Gras experience.
Some of the old-line parade “krewes” are famous for their exclusivity (some so exclusive that they stopped parading years ago rather than comply with a city non-discrimination ordinance). But others are open to anyone who can afford it, although spots are limited and sometimes have to be reserved well in advance.
Costs including membership fees, costumes and “throws” (beads, little stuffed toys, etc.) can be hefty for the major parades. Some travel agency and hotel packages include a four-night stay with a spot in Harry Connick Jr.’s Feb. 27 Krewe of Orpheus parade for more than $4,000. On the other end of the cost scale are the walking clubs, like Chewbacchus, which has annual dues of $42.
See the costumes
Mardi Gras is a daylong costume party in the French Quarter and along the parade routes.
Sometimes the costumes are simple: multicoloured wigs, glittery masks, oversized hats.
Sometimes they are elaborate: