The Best Mardi Gras Parade Beyond New Orleans | road trip

“Throwing” spectators off a Mardi Gras float is a trick I learned this year while walking in the Krewe of Dionysus Parade in Slide, Louisiana. Our parade of 18 floats rolled through the city’s downtown for several hours, each float accompanied by a colorful parade of Batman, Elvis and California Raisins, marching bands, festival queens and more. Thousands of people lined the sidewalks, some sitting on benches, simply waiting for the next beaded necklace, souvenir plastic cup or custom-printed drink to pass by. Others approached the floating sides to grab freebies, which included cheap sunglasses and mini bottles of hand sanitizer. Small children and adults with toddlers on their shoulders are all invited to the festive prizes with their eyes on them. It’s definitely a balance. “Throw something at me!” With the incessant shouts of , no marcher wants to be left with too many extra throws at the end of the trip, but you don’t want to be the floater who passes them.

New Orleans is synonymous with Mardi Gras, aka Fat Tuesday, and its associated parades, balls, and other festivities. But the season of Carnival — rooted in Catholicism and running from Three Kings Day (January 6) to Lent (February 21, 2010) — is celebrated everywhere from Lake Charles, Louisiana to Mobile, Alabama.

“Each area has its own twist and tradition,” says Nealy Frenz, chef and co-owner of Lola’s Restaurant in Louisiana’s North Shore region. You don’t have to go to New Orleans anymore.

Frenz is a member of the All Women’s Krewe in Mandeville, North Shore. “Krewes” are social organizations that host Mardi Gras and Carnival celebrations throughout Louisiana and the greater Gulf Coast. As is tradition, the Crewe’s Eve parade, as well as the floats and costumes, are centered around a theme. For 2023, that theme was “Together We Go.” Frenz says, “One float chose to focus on wine and cheese, the other on milk and cookies.

Many parades take place in a city on the same day, and are typically held at different times, so spectators (as well as float riders) can attend as many parades as possible. “Mardi Gras is a day, but Carnival is a season,” said Cart Blackwell, director of the Mobile Carnival Museum. Mobile parades occur almost daily in the week leading up to Mardi Gras. On both Lundi Gras (the day before Fat Tuesday) and Mardi Gras Day itself, parades run non-stop from dawn to dusk.

Mobile is considered by many to be the birthplace of Mardi Gras; This tradition began 320 years ago when a group of French soldiers decided to have their own impromptu celebration in a port town in Alabama. Less than a decade later, a giant bull’s head was being wheeled down Dauphin Street in the city center. Of course, New Orleans has its own origin story, and this city has taken its Mardi Gras celebration to the next level. “The two traditions are unique,” Blackwell said. For example, instead of Craves, Mobile has secret societies that serve the same purpose. “They complement each other completely,” he added.

New Orleans is a must if you’re after glow-in-the-dark follicle-shaped straws and other grown-up throwbacks with big crowds and hustle and bustle. However, the lineup in Mobile, Greater Louisiana, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast is more family-oriented (not you no way Sometimes look at lace underwear, it’s just much smaller than that). Each rally rider is responsible for purchasing their own throw. Thankfully, some places recycle and resell discarded beads from years past. Some riders are known for throwing big animals like unicorns and monkeys, while others choose football games decorated in traditional Mardi Gras colors (purple for justice, gold for power and green for faith), hula hoops or even food. The best I had was half a box of Little Debbie’s Oatmeal Cream. Many krewes and secret societies also cast commemorative doubloons — coins made of colored aluminum that typically bear that year’s parade date, krewe or secret society logo, and parade theme.

“Every krewe and march is different,” says Frenz. “You just need to find your people.”

Here are five places outside of New Orleans to celebrate Mardi Gras this season.

Mobile, Alabama

Unlike New Orleans’ Mardi Gras parades, which take place in and around the city’s many neighborhoods, “all of our stuff is downtown,” Blackwell says. “It’s like a Broadway show on the street.

The Mobile Mask Guide lists a full list of upcoming events, although one that can’t be missed is Joe Cain Day, which takes place each year on the Sunday before Fat Tuesday. Cain was one of the main figures behind the revival of Mobile Mardi Gras celebrations after the Civil War. In the year Although he died in 1904 and was buried in Mobile County’s Odd Fellows Cemetery, a local legend arranged for Cain’s remains to be moved to the city’s Church Street Cemetery in 1966, accompanied by a brass band. Now, anyone can take part in the annual Joe Cain Parade, which typically follows the cemetery meeting with Cain’s mourning widows (dressed in black) and most beautiful ladies (dressed in scarlet) – both part of the day’s traditional festivities. – Spend some time throwing taunts at each other.

Fat Tuesday parades begin at 10:30 a.m. with the Order of Athena, the only women’s troupe to march on Mardi Gras in Mobile, and watch the city’s oldest continuous Mardi Gras troupe, the Tales of Tales, float through the streets since 1868, always dressed as a jester. Around a Greek-style column is “Death” (recognizable by his skeleton clothes) chasing him.

When it comes to throwing, Moon Piece is a mobile favorite. Chocolate is probably the most popular flavor, although vanilla, banana and the rare coconut moon pie are also hot products.

Lake Charles, Louisiana

Known for its family-friendly Mardi Gras celebrations, Lake Charles is dedicated to kids all day. On Mardi Gras Kids Day (February 19), kids can make their own Mardi Gras souvenirs, learn about the history of Carnival and participate in a parade featuring Mardi Gras krewe members, local children’s organizations and youth.

Approximately 60 krewes roll together in the Fat Tuesday Night Krewe of Krewes Parade, which features more than 100 elaborate floats.

While in Lake Charles, be sure to visit the Imperial Calcasieu Museum’s “Black History of Mardi Gras” exhibit (through March 4), which showcases jeweled crowns, glittery dresses and the history of Louisiana’s African American krewes.

St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana

Louisiana’s North Shore hosts everything from a Mardi Gras float down the Tchefuncte River to several carnival dog parades, including two that come after Fat Tuesday. There’s Krewe Du Pooch in Mandeville (Feb. 25), where this year’s theme is “Great Gatsby,” and the Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws in Covington (Feb. 26), where dogs parade on foot with their costumed humans.

Another (human-centered) parade to see: The Krewe of Folsom, an open-to-the-public parade of floats, four-wheelers and horses on North Sea Mardi Gras afternoon.

Lafourche Parish, Louisiana

Louisiana’s Cajun Country, a mix of small towns, rural communities and hundreds of miles of land, is home to more than two dozen parades.

The Crewe of Apollo (February 18) will roll out 18 floats at noon, as well as marching bands, jeeps and ATVs, though they will be in downtown Lockport. This year’s theme is “Carton”. They have a float entirely for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with a vinyl flower patch adorning the exterior and a shiny foam board Donatello (turtle with a purple mask) matching the green face. Another floating of the Flinteston Carton Carton Stript Distribpace Fliptest Still resolute Stript Stript Fible Stript Stript Fible Stript Stript Fible Cut Cut Cut Cut Cut Cut Cut Cut Cut Cut shows his team.

Only children can ride in the Lafourche Krewe (Feb. 19) in Montegut’s parade (Feb. 19), and the Fat Tuesday Krewe of Cajuns event has grown from a simple truck parade to a parade of two-story floats, complete with popular toys like Cajuns-logo wooden nickels and crawfish trays.

The Krewe of Gheens parade is the first to roll through Cajun Bayou on Mardi Gras Day at 11:00 a.m.

Mississippi Gulf

Biloxi’s Krewe of Neptune is modeled after the old-line New Orleans Krewes, known for their secrecy. All float riders wear costumes and cover their faces with masks as they drive downtown. The parade will take place on the evening of Saturday, February 18, “Neptune Rules the World.” It is the theme.

Other Gulf parades include Mystic Krewe of Sea Horses Lundy Gras Parade, a nightly parade featuring costumed pirates riding golf carts. Try to grab one of their signature seahorse light-up beads and LED throws – both popular artifacts.