Mardi Gras parades
New Orleans floats
Mardi Gras parades are elaborate processions held before Lent, most famously in New Orleans.
Floats decorated by krewes (social organizations) roll through streets while masked riders throw beads, doubloons, and trinkets to crowds: We caught a ton of beads at the Mardi Gras parade.
The parades range from family-friendly afternoon events to raucous nighttime spectacles in the French Quarter.
- king cakeCarnival pastry hiding trinket
- jazz bandsImprovisational musical groups
- floatsRemains on surface
- spectatorsThose who observe events
- French influenceGallic cultural impact
street performers · Cajun music · marching bands · doubloons · masquerade balls · Fat Tuesday · drumlines · second line · neighborhood gatherings · charity events · dance troupes · city permits · throws · Bourbon Street · beads · costumes · colonial history
- Baton RougeBaton Rouge, LSU, downtown, Third Street, Sherwood Forest
Mardi Gras paradesfuneral processions
Ceremonial mourning convoys
mourning rituals · candlelight vigils · dirges · remembrance ceremonies · wakes
Mardi Gras paradesQuaker meetings
Unprogrammed religious gatherings
silent retreats · church services · meditation sessions · sobriety checkpoints · curfews