Yesterday New Orleans exploded with the beads, booze, and bacchanal. It was Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Krewes (parades) marched down the city’s streets. Beads were flung, traded, and adorned as revelers drank and ate their way down Bourbon Street, Frenchmen Street, and all the other corners of the French Quarter.
For those of us who couldn’t attend this year, we’ll have to settle for living vicariously through social media. So we’ve gone ahead and put together some of our favorite photos from yesterday’s party. Maybe they’ll entice you to book a ticket to the Big Easy next year and partake in the festivities.
The Pregame
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Dressing up for Mardi Gras is a must. Pick a costume, don some beads, get a Hurricane or two in, and then hit the French Quarter ready to party.
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The Krewes
The Krewes are parades that slice through the city. They went all day and ranged from the artful to the political, with plenty of revelers in tow, throwing beads, belting out songs, and drinking the day away all while marching through NOLA’s neighborhoods.
Bourbon Street
Bourbon Street is the epicenter of the brouhaha. Beads rain from the sky for hours. An insane amount of alcohol is guzzled. Music comes at you from every corner. It’s wild. One of those experiences that deserves a spot on everyone’s bucket list.
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Frenchman Street
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Frenchmen Street is Bourbon Street’s wilder, funkier, and more local sibling. Great Jazz clubs explode onto the streets as the locals march in their own Krewe that’s less populated by tourists but just as fun … if not more.
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The Food
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Every trip to New Orleans is about the food. The city is a wonderland for gourmands who love shellfish, tastily fried bread covered in heaps of sugar, and plenty of booze. King Cakes reign supreme around Mardi Gras and there will be plenty of pancakes served for Shrove Wednesday. In between are heaped po’ boys, piles of dirty rice and beans, mounds of crayfish, and endless trays of oysters.
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Beads
Fanciful plastic beads are a focal point of a great Mardi Gras. All we know is that we should have invested in plastic beads a long time ago. The market seems to be booming.
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The Aftermath
After all the krewes have marched, all the beads have been tossed, and the last ruddy hurricane and neon green grenade are chugged someone has to clean it all up. We salute you New Orleans clean-up crews!
