How to Prepare to See a Mardi Gras Parade in New Orleans

Tourists often wonder what to wear, where to stand, and what to bring to a New Orleans Carnival season parade. This guide will set you up to have a experience that is memorable, and for all the right reasons.

Dress for Success

What you wear can help you to stand out in a sea of people. Wear your loudest, most festive clothes or even a costume. Don't wear anything that is too heavy or hampers your movement. Going to the other extreme of wearing overly skimpy clothes will probably make you miserable by the time it is over if the temperature drops suddenly.

If you choose to wear a hat or a mask, be sure that it doesn't impair your range of vision. In addition to causing you to miss the chance to catch beads and other throws, it's dangerous. Not all float riders have excellent aim, and some of the items are heavy or are thrown too hard. Using stage makeup to enhance your game face is a good alternative way to make yourself visible to the float riders and join in the festivities.

Bring A Bag

Before heading to the parade route, be ready to haul home a lot of loot. Bring a sturdy tote-style bag made of canvas or heavy plastic. Grocery store bags were not built for this job! Without a bag, you will have to wear everything you catch. A large amount of beads can be very heavy and are uncomfortable to wear. Bags are also useful for holding the many other types of throws you will encounter, such as cups, dubloons, stuffed animals, and if you're lucky, perhaps a coconut.

Choosing Your Spot

Where you stand along the parade route directly effects the amount of beads you can catch. It also determines the type of crowd you'll be standing with for hours. If you have children in tow, the safest, least rowdy place to watch the parade pass by is closer to the start of the parade route along St. Charles Avenue. Further along, the crowd is louder and raunchier. There will be a lot more women flashing for beads in the area where Bourbon Street meets Canal, and they always get the lion's share of the throws. The end of the route on Canal street is the best place to catch the most beads, but be prepared for people to start crowding in as soon as the end of the parade approaches! Decide what you want to get out of the parade and choose your spot accordingly.

Get Ready To Wait

Parading is a form of organized chaos, so expect delays. Of the over one dozen parades I attended last year, not one started on time. Many ran at least 1.5 hours behind schedule. Bring something to drink, but drink sparingly. An unscheduled run to the restroom has cost many a partier a prime viewing place. Some people bring folding camp chairs, but these get in the way as more people crowd into any available space. You'll spend more time defending your space than watching the parade, so only bring a chair if it is absolutely necessary.

Settle in, people watch, and wait for the fun to begin!