Boudreaux's definitive guide to going to Mardi Gras
- Aimee Boudreaux MacIver
- Feb 17
- 7 min read
Mardi Gras is my life’s work. And today I offer you the fruit of that work: tips for how to go to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. If you're not from Louisiana, you may not realize the New Orleans significance of these tips coming from a Boudreaux-Elmer hybrid like myself. But I assure you: it means Mardi Gras is my genetic heritage.
We will skip right over the question of whether you can or should go to Mardi Gras, and whether you can or should bring children. We have seen babies as young as two weeks at the biggest, longest, all-day-iest parade of all (Endymion), and the only thing we felt rise up was a slow clap of admiration. As for me and my house, we shall laissez les bon temps rouler.
All of this advice assumes that you’ll be parking and walking up to the parade route. If you happen to have access to a magnificent historic mansion along St Charles Avenue, congratulations on being highly favored and you can just skip everything that follows. Also please send me your address.
Important: feel free to completely and wildly abandon all of this advice and do something else entirely or nothing at all. If you find yourself suddenly in the mood to catch a parade but you’re not packed yet, just go anyway! This is America and there is literally nothing you need over the course of a few hours that you cannot buy at some drugstore or corner store close by the route. And this is also New Orleans, so that includes liquor and beer. Mardi Gras is nothing if not about spontaneity.
Finally, if any of the below sounds exhausting or stressful, it’s only because I’m throwing it all out at once. One of the reasons I love Mardi Gras so much is because there are zero absolutes. You’ll never feel more free.
And now for a quick summary of how we roll.
How to get to Mardi Gras parades
Most krewes* take several hours to roll their route from start to stop, so you never need to panic and get there right when a parade starts. If a parade has already begun, you still have plenty of time to catch it down the route. (They do not take three hours to pass any one spot, however, lest this be confusing. Most parades pass any given spot along the route in two hours-ish.)
With this said, most people arrive well before the parade rolls by their spot. Hanging out at your parade camp sharing fried chicken and beer at 7 a.m. with your parade neighbors is one of the great joys of Mardi Gras.
Use parade tracker apps to help you figure out where the parade is in real time so you can figure out where and when to catch it. We like the WDSU one.
Parades block access to a huge swath of major city streets. In some parts of the city, particularly anything below St Charles toward the river, expect no ins or outs during a parade and plan accordingly. But if you do get trapped inside the boundaries, consider it God’s will that you are called to bask in wailing brass bands and jubilant chaos.
Parking availability for uptown parades and Endymion will be impossible near the big intersections, but totally reasonable at the in-betweens and side streets. However, if you’re catching a parade downtown, just pay $10-$20 to park in a nice covered lot. Everywhere else you’ll have to drive around a little while your kids panic about missing the parade and you’ll have to threaten to give away their Zapp’s to get them to be quiet so you can focus, but you’ll find something.
Mardi Gras means walking in some form. Unless you have a house and, more importantly, a driveway immediately on or near the parade route, you’re going to have to park several blocks away and walk. Adjust your expectations accordingly. Expect to walk about 10-15 minutes from car to route.
*Mardi Gras glossary: A krewe refers to a social organization organization that sponsors and rides in a specific parade. Krewes are each wildly unique, from the medieval tableau of Krewe de Jeanne d'Arc to the biting satire of Krewe d'Etat to the historic majesty of Krewe of Rex. Many are known for their signature throws, such as flower-bedecked sunglasses at Krewe of Iris or handsome logo-stamped socks at Krewe of Hermes. You'll develop favorites. But go to all of them.
Where to stand
Picking a spot to stand along the route is 100% unpredictable. You mosey along until you see a little patch to claim. Your patch need only be the size of one kid because it will expand. Mardi Gras spots are living things that change and morph in real time as you stand there. Your group will gradually worm your way up to the front and somehow, magically, one-body-sized patch becomes your own personal kingdom. Or alternatively: skip the crowded neutral ground* and sidewalk front lines and stand in the back for more breathing room and better visibility to riders on top of double-decker floats.
Mardi Gras glossary: Everyone in New Orleans knows that you have to pick a side for a parade: not left or right, not driver's side or passenger side, but neutral ground side or sidewalk side. Our neutral ground refers to what other people call median. As with everything New Orleans, there's a great story.
What to wear
Speaking of visibility to riders: if you really want to be seen in a sea of happy, yelling people, you must wear something that draws attention. Remember this is New Orleans and this is Mardi Gras, so your usual parameters of “draws attention” need to be radically expanded. Your bright sweatshirt isn't it. Think bigger, crazier, like a sequin gown or something that lights up or a super weird costume or a huge insulting or clever sign (a la “bet you can’t hit this,” “your mom throws better than you,” “hit this sign if you think the Saints got #robbed”). Otherwise, your only hope of standing out is being either extremely attractive and 22 years old, extremely and impressively old, or a baby. But don't worry. You will still catch more throws* than you can possibly store.
Wear clothes that are comfortable and/or the absolute weirdest stuff you’ve got. You’ll never have a more welcoming setting to wear full armor or a Medusa wig or a morph suit or a dirndl or literally any kind of mask. Mardi Gras is not the time to be “stylish” or "cute.” Expect your clothes to be rained or spilled on. Dress comfortably for weather that will probably be sunny and hot and raining and cold and windy and humid and muddy and dusty.
There is only one rule for parade wardrobe: NO OPEN TOE SHOES. Look me in the eyes. What did I just say? No, repeat it back. Yes, I’m serious. This matters.
Mardi Gras glossary: Throws are items that riders toss to the crowd from floats. Anything can be a throw and many krewes have signature throws that correlate to the krewe's identity. Some rare throws become highly prized: Zulu coconuts, Muses shoes, Iris king cake babies, Hermes wings. You can also expect to catch literally anything at a parade. We've collected throws including socks, t-shirts, kitchen utensils, food, art supplies, soap, pot holders, shoes, toys, bags of coffee, toilet paper... You're probably confused why you'd want all of that. But don't try to make sense of it. Just yell your lungs out and decide later what to do with your catches. P.S. Beads are not considered throws, even though beads are awesome, too.
What to eat and drink
If it’s meal time, eat in the car on the way, preferably fried chicken. It’s not Lent yet. Feel free to bring along a few snacks, but don’t try to pack a whole cute picnic thing because you’ll have to chill it and carry it and I’m already tired thinking of all that work. Again: America, capitalism, a few hours, tons of food sold nearby.
If you must bring food, make sure it's something that's self-contained and utensil-free.
You will find multiple parade camps cooking huge spreads of insane things like cauldrons of jambalaya or full cochon de lait roasts. Some sell plates to go.
Drinks are more important than food anyway. Our rough formula: two to three drinks per person per parade (because, glory of glories, usually there are multiple parades back to back). And please don’t forget to rotate in some actual water.
Where to find bathrooms
Drinking leads to the bathroom. You have two choices: public portalets or pay-to-pee places along the route. Both have pros and cons. Public portalets are totally disgusting, but sometimes a little antibiotic is worth the relief, amirite? #squatforyourlife Pay-to-pee places (usually fundraisers run by schools, churches, or cafes along the route) make you feel like royalty, what with their clean potties and free hand sanitizer and—wait for it—toilet paper.
What else to bring
Think of Mardi Gras parades as camping without the refreshing calm of nature. Come back this week for my comprehensive parade kit with notes for use. For now, here are some highlights:
Collapsible ice-chest-backpack-chair: These are my number-one parade essential and go to every parade. You can fit whatever drinks and snacks you need in these. Make one the “cold” one and another the “dry” one.
Sanitizer wipes: For every parade that is outside and at which there will be strangers.
Teeny tiny rain ponchos: Every parade. Keep a stash in one of the ice-chest-backpack-chairs because the weather may change quickly. Also useful for a variety of waterproofing and covering needs.
Plastic grocery bags: Every parade. A million good reasons to have some handy, starting with improv rain bonnet. Stuff some into backpack crevices.
Bathroom funnel for girls: Makes balancing in public portalets 100% easier. Every parade.
Collapsible wagon: Less for toting children and more for carrying back all the cups, swords, and 42 tons of beads that you catch.
Collapsible bench: This thing is awesome, but someone has to carry it, so we bring it only for the truly all-day parades.
Rolling ice chest: Same policy as the collapsible bench. However, you should know there’s a key bonus to bringing an ice chest: you can stand on it to facilitate eye contact with the rider holding a giant plush alligator.
Face paint sticks and football: For entertainment and community-building while you wait for the parade to roll.
Bonus tip
If you’re going to a Metairie parade, bring whatever and as much as you want because you can literally park within two blocks of the parade and just run back and forth to your car as you need. But regarding Metairie parades versus New Orleans parades: you were not made for comfort; you were made for greatness.
Allez! Now grab your walking beer and let's geaux!
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