We love New Orleans Louisiana: the mix of French and Spanish architecture of the French Quarter, the mansions of St. Charles Avenue and the Garden District, the spooky above-ground crypts of the cemeteries, the extraordinary World War II Museum, the Royal Street antique galleries, its restaurants and cuisine, the jazz and of course, the continual partying along Bourbon Street.
We visited the city relatively frequently before covid. But we hadn’t been to Mardi Gras in years. We finally made up for this in 2023 when we joined the throngs of people enjoying themselves after several years of staying at home.
As we often do, we stayed between the French Quarter and the Warehouse District. This time we stayed at the small boutique Brakeman Hotel. The room was a good size and comfortable. More importantly, it was within a few blocks of Bourbon Street’s Party Central (but where we could still get away from the crowds), most of the primary parades, and not far from the jazz bars that line Frenchman Street.
Although we spent some time on Bourbon and Frenchmen Streets, we devoted our time primarily to Saturday through Tuesday’s (Mardi Gras Day) virtually non-stop parades. We even skipped many of the excellent Uptown and neighborhood restaurants to remain near the action.
Rather than write specifically about Bourbon Street, Frenchman Street, and other familiar locations, this post focuses primarily on the parades. See our related blogs for more details on other New Orleans neighborhoods, attractions, and activities.
Bourbon Street and the French Quarter
Bourbon Street is pretty much as it normally is—except more so during Mardi Gras. Hundreds of people are standing or walking in the streets day and night. All have drinks (including some in fishbowl sized-bowls) from the dozens of packed bars (many with live jazz bands) that line the streets.
During Mardi Gras, however, there’s another twist. Hundreds of additional people on the wrought-iron balconies over the bars throw beads to those below. They are especially generous to those women who bare their breasts, with a decided favor toward those whose nipples have been adorned at one of the street’s Nipple Glitter stands. During Mardi Gras, however, the hundreds become tens of hundreds, walking is slowed by the throngs of people and the streets are slip-prone due to the broken strands of beads that litter the streets, at least until cleanup crews make them “magically” disappear by morning.
The partying also moves off Bourbon Street, such as to the formerly staid Royal Street, which used to be lined with upscale antique stores. While some such stores remain, most have since been converted into art galleries and bars. Decatur Street, meanwhile, remains another tourist hub, with its cigar factory/stores, inexpensive restaurants, and bars. One exception is the stately, beautiful blocks that line lovely St. Louis Square.
Frenchmen Street and the Faubourg Marigny
Music pervades the city. It plays a dominant role in the Faubourg Marigny District—particularly along the music bar-lined Frenchman Street where jazz remains king. But music is increasingly interspersed with bands playing rock and occasional hip-hop and electronic rhythm music.
While some bars, such as the upscale Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro charge admission to see the live bands in the basement jazz lounge (although you can hear and see TV monitors of the band), most are free. Some have a loose one-drink minimum policy. But you can generally listen to a song or two before you decide whether you want to stay or check out the band and the crowd next door.
While the area’s bars are always crowded, Mardi Gras crowds along the parade routes were less than we had anticipated, especially when compared to the masses that throng the streets of the neighboring French Quarter. Unfortunately for us, the music in Faubourg Marigny, as well as that in the French Quarter, tended to be more contemporary than the traditional jazz we were used to hearing and that we hoped to experience again. Overall, however, Blue Note Snug Harbor continues to be among our favorite jazz spots.
Mardi Gras Parades
While you can stream a Mardi Gras parade online, there is nothing like seeing a Mardi Gras parade in person. The crowds, excitement, and of course, catching the beads and items thrown from the floats are part of the draw.
We positioned ourselves along a parade route along with everyone else to view the spectacle. Our first parade was Saturday night. We watched as Endymion ended its roughly four-mile course through the city with floats, accompanying marching bands, and dance troops.
Okeanos
We took a much more proactive and interesting approach to Sunday’s four parades. We began early afternoon near the end point of many parades at the edge of the French Quarter where the day’s first city parade (as distinct from the many parades held outside the central city) had arrived. We then traced the parade’s route in reverse, generally walking three miles up St. Charles Avenue where we passed and stopped to view (and snag beads, doubloons, and a variety of LED-lit swag) that the Okeanos krewe members dispensed.
Mid-City and Thoth Parades
By the time we had reached the point at which we reached the last float, the day’s second parade, Mid-City, had caught up and blended almost seamlessly into the end of Okeanos. The same pattern followed through the third parade, Thoth which had over 2,500 riders and 42 floats.
Bacchus
Then we cheered the fourth and evening finale—Bacchus. This parade is over-the-top, with several dozen elaborate double and triple-deck floats, elegant costumes, and extravagant swag. We walked along the route to go back towards its Basshus starting line, going past dozens of fully stocked and manned floats that had not yet reached the official starting line. As we walked back down Tchoupitoulas Street, we walked next to the waiting floats where we chatted with a few krewe members and left with LED-lit remembrances.
The Crowds Are Almost As Fun As Viewing the Floats
As interesting as the parades were, we also enjoyed walking the parade routes. The Downtown and Warehouse District section of St. Charles was lined with individuals and families and those in the types of elevated, reserved bleacher seats that lined this section of the route. By the time we reached the end, Garden District and St. Charles Street had divided into two strands separated by a mall. Individual spectators had been replaced by groups who had staked out plots. Many erected tents housed tables loaded with alcohol and food that was prepared on the ubiquitous grills, smokers, and boiling pots. At least one large grill contained an entire grilled pig.
While we viewed and smelled the food from many of these set-ups, we got into a conversation with one owner who invited us to partake in their feast of sausages, chicken, BBQ, and freshly boiled crawfish.
Many of the few spots not filled with tents were lined with ladders on which spectators stood to get a better view and to improve their chances of catching swag. Some had nets and baskets to improve their chances. Some ladders were modified, adding wheels to allow them to be more easily transported, and child seats—both single and double.
All of this was framed by the extravagant homes and mansions that line St. Charles and past century-old oak trees that were beautifully festooned with long strands of decorated paper (from long rolls and with the consistency of toilet paper) and beads that branches intercepted before reaching their intended targets. And since the entire parade-viewing world was drinking, we joined the party by joining the long lines at bars for takeout beer and wine.
Proteus and Orpheus Parades
For the first time, we purchased elevated grandstand seats along lower St. Charles Street to view two premier parades.
We got not only an elevated seat that allowed us to better see, but also many of the floats and marching bands stopped in front of the grandstand. We also had a narration about the floats, some of which were designed and have been upgraded since the mid-19th century.
One drawback to the stadium seating though, with everybody standing on their seats, it is tough to reach for beads without losing one’s balance, especially after another day of morning-to-evening drinking. Overall, however, it was a very civilized way for a visitor to experience the shows.
Fat Tuesday
Fat Tuesday began early in the morning (8:00 AM) with the Zulu and Rex parades, which we viewed from street level on Canal Street and up along lower St. Charles. We passed on two, smaller parades that followed—Elks and Crescent City.
By the time we left our hotel, the first bands and floats of the Zula parade were just passing beneath our hotel window. We retraced the path of the parade to Canal and St. Charles Avenue before detouring into the French Quarter for lunch. We then rejoined the parade route in reverse, heading up past Lee Circle with the Elks Orleans krewe. We found a convenient shaded front-row spot to stand, waved to the passing Rex krewe members, and collected our booty.
Most of the parades included some combination of cars, vans, trucks, and buses from Mardi Gras World. As we discussed in a previous blog, the organization creates and continues to warehouse most of the floats used in Mardi Gras since the mid-20th century.
Mardi Gras Celebrations
Although we participated in several of the public Mardi Gras events and celebrations, these are just the tip of the partying iceberg. Krews undergo evenings and weekends of preparations in their members select their annual king and queen and design and build their floats, the partying on the floats and parades as they wind through the streets and the biggest, mostly private formal balls hosted by each of the krewes. The balls of the three “Super Krewes” – Bacchus Orpheus and Endymion sponsor the most lavish and exclusive of these balls, each with extravagant decorations and superstar entertainers.
Unfortunately, we never received the supposedly very artistic invitations that are themselves collector items. They must have been lost in the mail.
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