Tips for Tourists- Getting Around During Mardi Gras

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When is Mardi Gras?

• Mardi Gras day moves around on the calendar based on the date of Easter, so you'll need to check every year when Mardi Gras falls for that year.

• Mardi Gras parades start WEEKS before Mardi Gras day- this is the biggest mistake I see tourists make. You will have the wonderful opportunity to see families and locals have an amazing time in a sort of block-party environment all over Uptown. The French Quarter will be full of tourists behaving badly, so if that's NOT your vibe, it might be fun to stroll down Bourbon St during the days leading up to Mardi Gras, but avoid it at night.

me and my nephew enjoying the parades

How do I get around during Mardi Gras?

I've noticed that "getting around" and navigating the parade street closures, culture and scheduling is not something hotels are pro-active about- they leave it up to the guest to figure out, which kind of sucks, so I'm here to help! I live in "the box", as it is affectionately called, during Mardi Gras. It is an area of the city that is blocked off by street closures for the parades. "No big deal", you think, "I'm not going to be there during Mardi Gras/during the parades". Well, you might.... Here is the best website for the parade schedules, that I use every year to plan as a local: https://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/parades/

It is divided by date, then by neighborhood- most tourists to the city need to pay attention to parades in Uptown, French Quarter and the Marigny.

• French Quarter and Marigny parades close streets but ARE NOT the big tractor pulled floats that you see in photos. They are small, walking parades with hand-made contraptions usually pulled by bike or human, sometimes a mule. They are fun, creative parades but they take a LONG time to roll since they are all walking. They are some of my favorites, so if you're lucky you can catch them:

  • Krewe du Vieux and krewedeluision (satire and humor)

  • Krewe of Chewbacchus (all things nerd & geek)

  • Krewe of Barkus (dogs!)

• Uptown parades are big affairs that really begin to affect the city two weeks before Mardi Gras- you'll see big blocks of parades on the schedule all day Sat. and Sun.

  • They require you to plan in advance your Friday nights, all day & night Sat. & Sun. and the week before Mardi Gras Day will also have parades Tues., Wed and Thurs. nights!

  • Parades FOLLOW each other, meaning you'll see several on the schedule with a gap between each, but streets DO NOT reopen to traffic between the parades.

    
    

Now back to "the box" - if you are staying "in the box" you will be affected by the parade street closures, so that includes a lot of hotels in the Warehouse District, CDB and Air BnBs uptown and getting in or out of any restaurants/museums/tours/venues in the box. Here's what MOST of the Uptown street closures look like:

That is Napoleon Ave. on the left (some parade line-ups and routes start further uptown by Jefferson Ave. so if you book an Air BnB Uptown, be sure to check routes of the parades that are rolling while you are in town before trying to, say, catch an Uber to a dinner reservation). Heading down Napoleon Ave., away from the river, the parades turn at St. Charles Ave. (the street the streetcar run down) and continues parallel to the river all the way to Canal St. Lots of hotels between St. Charles Ave and the river are affected by the closures, especially because barricades block crossing over streets even without a car. They'll right turn and parade down Canal St. for 3 blocks, then turn right again on Tchoupitoulas St. where the parade ends. But you're not out the woods yet- the end of the parade is just as congested with floats as the beginning so it will block a lot of Tchoupitoulas St. all the way to the Convention Center.

How to survive and thrive at Mardi Gras

• Plan plan plan- you can avoid a lot of headache and frustration by knowing the parade schedule and route as it relates to you. Dinner reservations, tours, getting out of your hotel, getting to your hotel at the end of the day and MOST IMPORTANTLY getting to and from the airport with your baggage- all needs to be planned in advance.

• Don't expect Ubers or taxis to get to you (don't be surprised if they drop you as a fare when they get frustrated) or public transportation to work for you AT ALL. Getting OUT the box before the streets close (generally 1 hour before the first parade) and staying out is your best bet to have a full day of fun in neighborhoods like Midcity/City Park (check out New Orleans Museum of Art), Bywater/Marigny or out of town at a plantation tour or in the bayou/swamp (those shuttles usually do early a.m. pick ups from hotels before the streets close, but getting back, you may need to walk a bit since the shuttle can only get so close to drop you off). Lots of AMAZING restaurants are NOT in the French Quarter, so don't limit your dinner plans to getting from your hotel during peak parade hours- maybe spend the day out and do dinner and drinks in one of the neighborhoods I listed.

• Plan your travel accordingly- if you're flying, consider coming and leaving before 4pm during a weekday to avoid any stress around getting a ride and having to drag your luggage all over town with you by foot.

• Most importantly- relax. We are also annoyed with it all, but we do it every year because it is the most fun our city can have- one of the biggest parties in the world! Mardi Gras is the experience you make it and different areas on the parade route offer different experiences, so leave the other tourists and drunk frat bros to the French Quarter and take in the different little communities that pop up around the parade route of neighbors, families and friends.

Some final tips about Mardi Gras

• Viewing & Location: Mardi Gras parades are free. Avoid bleacher tickets unless needed for mobility, and steer clear of Canal Street and the CBD overpass area—walk Uptown to Jackson Avenue instead for a better, safer experience.

• Bathroom Prep: When you do find a spot on the route to hang, consider how near you are to a bathroom (most require a wristband purchase). Bathrooms are a big priority if you're staying for a parade- plan ahead for restroom access, pack hand sanitizer, and bring Kleenex/toilet paper.

• Crowd Etiquette & Safety: Be respectful of your neighbors- don't stand in front of kids or seated seniors, most people got out there hours before the parade to claim a spot. Give priority to kids- you're taller, so let kids have the best toys and LED throws. If you think a throw (something fun tossed off a float to the crowd) was for someone else behind you or next to you, it probably was- don't be greedy, offer it to the intended target.

• Parade Rules & Safety: Never cross through a school or marching band's lineup—wait until the entire group passes, including dancers and escorts. Never try to pass between connected floats, wait until the float passes and cross when you have plenty of time and space.

• Refreshments: Mardi Gras is BYOB, so bring your own drinks and snacks for the route.

  
  

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