Mardi Gras 2024: Everything You Need To Know

Here are all of the Uptown parade schedules:
Wednesday, February 7:
Krewe of Druids: 6:15 p.m.
Krewe of Nyx: 6:45 p.m.
Thursday, February 8:
Knights of Babylon: 5:30 p.m.
Knights of Chaos: follows Babylon
Krewe of Muses: follows Chaos
Friday, February 9:
Krewe of Hermes: 5:30 p.m.
Krewe d’Etat: 6:30 p.m.
Krewe of Morpheus: 7 p.m.
Saturday February 10:
Krewe of Iris: 11 a.m.
Krewe of Tucks: 12 p.m.
Krewe of Endymion: 4:15 p.m. (this is a Mid-City parade)
Sunday February 11:
Krewe of Okeanos: 11 a.m.
Krewe of Mid-City: follows
Krewe of Thoth: 12 p.m.
Krewe of Bacchus: 5:15 p.m.
Monday February 12
Krewe of Proteus: 5:15 p.m.
Krewe of Orpheus: 6 p.m.
Tuesday February 13 (aka Mardi Gras Day)
Krewe of Zulu: 8 a.m.
Krewe of Rex: 10:30 a.m.
Krewe of Elks Orleans: follows Rex
Krewe of Crescent City: follows Elks Orleans
I know this is only a fraction of the parades that are rolling in the Greater New Orleans Area. For Covington, Mandeville, and West Bank parades, please check out this full listing of Mardi Gras parades.

The good news is that the majority of Mardi Gras parades follow the same route, depending on what part of the city they roll in. This is especially true for the Uptown route, which is what is pictures above. The start/end points may differ by a block or two, but this is a solid map for determining where you want to watch the Uptown parades from.

Short answer: whatever you want.

Seriously! There are no rules here. You could come out in your pajamas if you wanted to (and many will).

Costumes are all part of the fun, so go nuts. I will say that it's important to check the weather before you walk out the door, because you will have a miserable time if you find out your costume is too hot/cold for the weather. Oh, and wear comfortable shoes. That may be the most important part of your outfit. You will be walking a lot, and standing on your feet for the majority of the parade. Mardi Gras miles are different, and you could easily find yourself walking five miles in a night. Ditch the heels.

Wherever you'd like! One of my favorite parts about Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans is that everyone organically falls into their zone. As you're walking the route, you'll pass by kid-friendly areas (look for the ladders), college-age zones, etc. If you find yourself not aligned with the vibes in one area, walk to a new one!

Ask 10 people this question, and you'll get 10 different answers. When I was 10 years old, my answer would be a spear. Now that I'm older, I'd say people go nuts over a Muses shoe.

But nothing tops a Zulu coconut. They are the Holy Grail of Mardi Gras throws in my opinion.

That's a tough one to answer, for a few reasons. Where you're standing on the route matters, and if you're towards the end of the parade then even though the parade may start at 6 p.m., it probably won't get to you until 7:30 p.m. or even later. And that's if the parade runs smoothly, which is rare. Parades stall all the time and that can really slow things down. Sometimes, the floats get stuck taking a turn, sometimes the tractor has an issue and needs to be swapped out, maybe a medical emergency happens, etc.

I'd recommend downloading a Mardi Gras app on your phone. I use the WWL Mardi Gras app so I can watch real time where the parade is, and it's such a life saver!

Have fun, but stay smart. The crowds can be intense and unfortunately, theft is a problem during Mardi Gras. Don't keep your wallet or phone in your back pocket and make sure any bags you're carrying are zipped up. It's easier than you think to be pickpocketed during Mardi Gras.

It's always a good idea to have a "home base" of sorts so that your krewe all knows where to meet up if y'all get separated. And taking a "safety selfie" beforehand is a great idea, this way if someone does separate from the group you'll have a photo of what they were wearing.