Mardi Gras New Orleans presented by Mardi Gras Unmasked

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In endeavoring to chronicle the panorama of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, we heed the words of the late New Orleans journalist and novelist Robert Tallant in his 1947 book Mardi Gras…As It Was.

"I think if there is any world left in which human beings still laugh and still, even on rare occasions, have fun, there will be Mardi Gras, and that it will live through whatever catastrophes occur… Men cease to laugh only when they are very ill or when they have become beasts….That is why Mardi Gras is not a trivial matter but a very important one. In a way it is a symbol of the art of being human, and wherever people are still human, wherever they still enjoy living, it will exist in some form.” Click here to learn about our mission.

Mardi Gras Parades

Can't you almost feel the boom of dat big bass drum? YEE-OWW! Throw me some of dem big beads, MISTAAAAAH! Schedules and maps.

New Orleans 3 Day Weather Forecast

Today's Forecast

88 / 74 ℃
Partly Cloudy
Wind: SE at 2 mph
Humidity: 73%

Fri

93/75

Sat

88/74

Carnival Countdown

Beyond the glitzy float parades, fancy-dress balls and the unbridled indulgence of Bourbon Street is a veritable cornucopia of processions, artistic pursuits and goings-on that make Mardi Gras one of the most multifaceted cultural extravaganzas on the planet. For a complete rundown of Carnival-related events and activities that are open to the public, visit MardiGrasCalendar.com. There you can easily sort events by genre and conveniently share listings via Twitter, social networking sites or email. You can also submit your own listings and photos to add to the calendar. Begin here.

Mardi Gras Music

Learn about Carnival’s pivotal role in nurturing what is now widely recognized as New Orleans’ unique gift to the world and its most valuable cultural resource. Plus: Mardi Gras Music Radio. Listen to all your Mardi Gras favorites via your desktop, iPhone or mobile device. Live broadcasts during Mardi Gras 2010, interviews, parade updates and more! Begin here.

Colorful Characters

Rex and his queen may officially reign over festivities, but Carnivaldom is full of skilled artisans, larger-than-life personalities and visionary revelers who enrich the panorama of the festivities. Meet our Colorful Characters.

Hash Harriers

Many associations can be made between Mardi Gras and the recreational running and drinking phenomenon known as the “hash.” Both have colorful histories and revel in a spirit of roguish fun, sharing an affinity for inebriation, innuendo and sowing a bit of mayhem. But to truly appreciate the kinship, one must first consider the implications of a seemingly innocuous white powder. more

Carnival Courier

A grab bag of noteworthy news items about Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras Trivia Challenge

Test your Carnival knowledge: beginner, intermediate, advanced and (for those aspiring to earn a doctoral degree in the minutiae of Mardi Gras Madness) junkie levels.

Mardi Gras Paparazzi

Sean Payton shares Lombardi Trophy with ecstatic fans On Monday night in the Krewe of Orpheus parade

On Monday night in the Krewe of Orpheus parade, Saints head coach Sean Payton showed the same daring and penchant for surprise that he did in calling for an on-side kick to start the second half of the Super Bowl (which may go down in history as the greatest Super Bowl call ever, as the Saints recovered the ball and drove for a touchdown to take their first lead of the game). He was riding with the Lombardi Trophy on a float along with Reggie Bush and former Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert. When the float got about halfway down Canal St., Payton got off to merrily share the trophy with ecstatic fans lining the parade route. It was as if the rock-star coach was making good on the pronouncement he made in the Lombardi Trophy presentation ceremony after his team won its first-ever Super Bowl: "Everybody back in New Orleans gets a piece of this trophy." Parade goers along Canal St. could hardly believe their eyes. Here was the hero second in line to be canonized (after quarterback Drew Brees), presenting the trophy for the faithful to touch. (At least one excited lady fan returned the favor by planting a big kiss on his face.) Watch this extraordinary, only-in-New Orleans scene unfold in exclusive Lombardi Gras coverage from MardiGrasUnmasked.com.

Experience the delirious, eye-popping kaleidoscope that is Mardi Gras—a visually intoxicating celebration and the official art form of New Orleans. Begin here.

Mardi Gras Tips & Tricks

Seasoned advice on parade etiquette, reaping throw booty, balcony and grandstand access and much more, including answers to the most-asked Mardi Gras questions of all time — where to find a place to pee. Begin here.

What It's All About

There is no one way to celebrate Mardi Gras, an amalgamation of customs and rituals that occur within a framework of established conventions. Nevertheless, when planning a Mardi Gras party, you're better off knowing about king cake cheats, the prerogatives of tinsel royalty, the sociology of "earning" beads and the importance of foolishness in the observance of tradition.

Carnival 4 Kids

Children of the realm are indoctrinated into the rituals of Carnival almost from infancy. Plus: a listing of activities. Begin here.

The New Colors of Madness: Black and Gold

Mardi Gras Madness is about to acquire a whole new meaning.

With the unprecedented convergence of the Who Dat Super Bowl victory frenzy and the climactic final days of Carnival, the biggest party ever in America’s most celebrated party town has begun with a resounding bang.

“Mardi Gras may never end,” Saints quarterback Drew Brees, Super Bowl XLIV MVP, said in the post-game Vince Lombardi trophy ceremony. The U.S. audience of the CBS broadcast is believed to have topped 100 million, a record.

A knight in shining armor emblazoned with gold fleur de lis—who came to New Orleans as if in a fairytale fantasy and catalyzed its recovery from a spell cast by a wicked hellion named Katrina—Brees himself is the centerpiece of Mardi Gras. He will reign as Bacchus XLII, on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14). The parade (theme: “Love is in the Air”) promises to be an ecstatic love fest for the ages, with the sainted Brees as the most heroic, beloved monarch to have ever reigned over a parade in the history of Carnival.

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Local Color & Customs

Everybody knows that Mardi Gras is a time to frolic and have fun, to throw down, as they say in the Big Easy. But it also comprises a remarkable array of rituals and customs that, collectively, represent an authentic and compelling expression of indigenous folkways. Begin here.

Carnival 101

Comprising a range of art forms and a dizzying amalgamation of happenings and habits, Carnival has a storied history and its own peculiar lexicon. Bone up on trappings, traditions and symbols — and find out why this season of merriment and make-believe encompasses and expresses all that New Orleans essentially is. Begin here.

Carnival Quotes

What Mark Twain, Louis Armstrong, Calvin Trillin and others have had to say about New Orleans' most important cultural institution.

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