If you’re the kind of person who loves large, friendly crowds, all-day festivities, and endless entertainment, Mardi Gras will be the time of your life. But even if you’re not, we believe that Mardi Gras can be a special, one-of-a-kind experience with the right amount of preparation! We recommend having a few events planned ahead of your visit even if you are a spontaneous traveler so that you have a starting point.
Visit New Orleans at Peak Mardi Gras Season
The week leading up to Fat Tuesday is the best time to get the most out of your visit. This is when the major parades take place, typically with multiple parades happening on the same day. The super krewe and royalty krewe parades begin on the Saturday before Fat Tuesday and finish on Mardi Gras day, so planning a trip during that time is ideal. But don’t worry – if you can’t make it that week, there are festivities to enjoy for the whole carnival season!
Enjoy the Most Popular Mardi Gras Parades
There are typically around 80 parades during Carnival season, so you are bound to catch a few whenever you visit Nola. However, a few parades stick out as the most popular for good reason. Parades are thrown by Mardi Gras krewes, and the biggest organizations throw the most popular parades!
Royalty Krewes
The two royalty krewe parades that run on Fat Tuesday are the Krewe of Rex and the Krewe of Zulu.
The Krewe of Zulu parade kicks off Mardi Gras day at 8 am beginning in the Uptown neighborhood. Zulu was started in 1909 by a group of laborers that were part of a Black benevolent society. While the first Zulu parade was in 1915, the krewe moved to its destination of St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street in 1968 and has been on that route ever since.
Traditionally, Zulu krewe members threw painted coconuts at parades. While the krewe has evolved over the years, it remains a premier Black organization locally, nationally, and internationally. You can find the full parade route here.
The Krewe of Rex follows Zulu starting at 10 am in the Uptown neighborhood. Rex is the longest-standing organization, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2022. This all-men’s krewe was the original inventor of day parades and Mardi Gras’s purple, green, and gold color scheme.
The Krewe of Rex marks the culmination of Mardi Gras season on Fat Tuesday. You can find the full route here.
Super Krewes
The three “Super Krewes” of New Orleans are Endymion, Bacchus, and Orpheus.
As the first of the super krewes, The Krewe of Endymion is a parade that runs on the Saturday night before Mardi Gras in the Mid-City neighborhood.
Krewe of Bacchus follows on Sunday afternoon in the Uptown neighborhood.
Finally, Krewe of Orpheus finishes out the three super krewe parades in Uptown on Lundi Gras, the Monday before Fat Tuesday. You can find a full list of the parade schedule here.
Indulge in Authentic King Cake
Carnival season also means King Cake season, and you don’t want to miss this delightful dessert when you visit. King Cake is a sweet pastry that is covered with icing and sprinkles, and often filled with cream cheese or another tasty filling.
Don’t be shocked when you find a plastic baby in your dessert – it’s there for a reason! Finding the baby is like winning the lottery in king cake world.
While you can find King Cake in any local supermarket from January-Ash Wednesday, New Orleans is home to some of the best hole-in-the-wall king cake bakeries.
Here are our top choices:
Manny Randazzo King Cakes
Dong Phuong Bakery & Restaurant
For more king cake options throughout the city, click here.
Visit Bourbon Street
After a full day of parades, there is nowhere more electric than Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras. Although not so much a local hotspot, during Mardi Gras it’s hard to get anyone to stay away.
Get ready for a good time as you make your way from Canal Street to Bourbon Street and enjoy all of the bars, bands, specialty drinks, and scenes you can only find in the Big Easy.
Pro tip: Most bars on Bourbon Street have access to a balcony. It is the best spot to enjoy the wild scene down below as you toss beads to your fellow Mardi Gras go-ers.
Wander the French Quarter
During the week of Mardi Gras, the French Quarter becomes a pedestrian-friendly zone where visitors can stroll from one street to the next by foot. It is the best time to explore the most iconic spots in Nola, try the infamous beignets at Cafe Du Monde, or check out Mardi Gras World next to the convention center.
