New Orleans Celebrates Mardi Gras with Parades, Crawfish, and Beads

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As people head back to work on Tuesday after the long holiday weekend, New Orleans is celebrating Mardi Gras with parades, crawfish boils, and the throwing of colorful beads. Mardi Gras marks the climax and end of the week-long Carnival season, providing a final chance for indulgence, feasting, and revelry before the Christian Lent period of sacrifice and reflection.

Why it matters

New Orleans is world-famous for its extravagant Mardi Gras celebration, which has become an integral part of the city's cultural identity and a major tourist draw. The annual festivities showcase the unique spirit and traditions of the Big Easy, from the elaborate floats and costumes to the communal gumbo-making in rural areas.

The details

Among the final parades in New Orleans is the one hosted by the Zulu Social Aide & Pleasure Club, where marchers and float riders wear African-inspired garb and toss 'throws' like plastic beads, candy, and the signature hand-decorated coconuts. Later, the Rex, the King of Carnival parade, will roll along St. Charles Avenue. Carnival events are known for their spectacular floats and intricately crafted outfits, such as the beaded and bejeweled costumes of the Black masking Indians.

• Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, marks the climax and end of the week-long Carnival season and falls on the day before Ash Wednesday.
• The final parades in New Orleans take place on Mardi Gras day, Tuesday, February 17, 2026.