New Orleans · Carnival 2027
Do Mardi Gras like you live here.
Dozens of parades over two weeks. We help you catch the ones worth your time, claim a spot on the route, and stay somewhere that makes sense - with no ads and no Bourbon Street clichés.
Feb 9, 2027
Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras Day)
Jan 6 - Feb 9
The Carnival season
Free
To watch every street parade
St. Charles Ave
Where the big parades roll - not Bourbon St
Not sure where to start
Which parades are right for you?
Answer three quick questions. We'll line up the parades worth your time, point you to a neighborhood, and tell you when to book.
The spectacle
The parades to build your week around
The super krewes draw the biggest crowds for a reason: giant animated floats, marching bands, and the most coveted throws in Carnival.
Krewe of Muses
18:30Uptown / St. Charles
The all-female krewe that owns Thursday night: razor-sharp satire, a marching shoe of LED-lit floats, and the hand-glittered Muses shoe - the catch everyone wants.
Krewe of Endymion
16:15Mid-City
The largest parade in Carnival and the only major one on the Mid-City route - tandem floats carry hundreds of riders to the Superdome for the Endymion Extravaganza.
Krewe of Bacchus
17:15Uptown / St. Charles
The super krewe that broke old-line tradition: a national celebrity reigns as Bacchus each year, riding behind the animated Bacchasaurus and Bacchagator floats.
Krewe of Orpheus
18:00Uptown / St. Charles
The Lundi Gras super krewe co-founded by Harry Connick Jr. - co-ed, music-forward, and capped by the towering Leviathan float.
The essentials
Sort the four things that matter
Your first Mardi Gras
What actually happens, the myths to drop, and the etiquette locals expect on the route.
See details →Where to stay
The neighborhood you pick shapes the whole trip - far more than the hotel does.
See details →Where to stand
Neutral ground, ladders, and the best stretch of route for your group.
See details →What it'll cost
A realistic budget for lodging, food, and getting around. The parades are free.
See details →More than beads
There's a real culture behind the party
Mardi Gras isn't Bourbon Street. Learn what the colors mean, why riders mask, and what's actually worth catching.
The Dispatch
Notes from the route
Mardi Gras Throws, Explained: What Gets Thrown, How to Catch It & Which Krewes Have the Best
Beads are the least interesting thing thrown at a Mardi Gras parade. Here's the full New Orleans throw hierarchy - Zulu coconuts, Muses shoes, Nyx purses, Tucks toilet brushes, doubloons - plus how to actually catch them, the bead-throwing rules locals follow, and what to do with the pile afterward.
Getting Around New Orleans During Mardi Gras: Parking, Streetcars, Road Closures & Rideshare
During Carnival, New Orleans stops working like a normal city. Streetcars get replaced by buses, whole neighborhoods close to cars, and the tow trucks are not bluffing. Here's how locals actually get around Mardi Gras: parking rules, road closures, rideshare, the ferry, and why walking usually wins.
Mardi Gras Weather: What February in New Orleans Is Really Like (and How to Plan for It)
Will it rain on your Mardi Gras? Here's what February weather in New Orleans is actually like: typical temperatures, how often it rains on parades, what happens when storms roll in, and how locals dress for a day that can swing 30 degrees between morning and midnight.