Mardi Gras is one of our favorite times of year in New Orleans. The Big Easy really shows out for the festivities, which begin in January and continue until Fat Tuesday.
For hundreds of years, cultures around the world have celebrated Mardi Gras, but most famous of all in the United States are the annual parades through New Orleans, Louisiana. Full of flying colors, plastic beads necklaces, intricately designed moving floats, and classic New Orleans drinks, the Mardi Gras Parades fill the streets and create a spectacle for visitors and locals alike.Â
Mardi Gras was originally celebrated in Medieval Europe to mark the beginning of Lent and prepare for the fasting period of Easter. On March 2 in 1699, French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville arrived on land directly south of New Orleans, and named it “Pointe du Mardi Gras” when it was realized it was the eve of the holiday. Bienville also established “Fort Louis de la Louisiane” in 1702, now known as Mobile. In 1703, the tiny settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile celebrated America’s very first Mardi Gras, beginning a tradition with no end in sight.Â
Mardi Gras celebrations started off as elegant balls, then transformed into grandiose parades. Krewes were created, which are social organizations that stage the parades and balls of Mardi Gras. Some Krewes have been around for hundreds of years but others have only been around for a few. This year, more than 80 Krewes are set to parade for the festivities in New Orleans.
Here is a list of all the parades that will be happening in New Orleans for Mardi Gras 2024:
Saturday, January 6th:
French Quarter:
Krewe of Joan of Arc, 7pm.
Société Des Champs Elysée, 7:30pm.
Uptown New Orleans:
Phunny Phorty Phellows, 7pm.
Funky Uptown Krewe, follows.
Covington:
Fools of Misrule, 6pm.
Sunday, January 7th:
Mandeville:
Mande Kings Day, 2pm.
Saturday, January 20th:
Marigny:
Krewe of Chewbacchus, 7pm.
Friday, January 26th:
French Quarter:
Krewe Bohème, 7pm.
Slidell:
Krewe of Titans, 6:30pm.
Saturday, January 27th:
French Quarter:
Krewe du Vieux, 6:30pm.
Slidell:
Krewe of Bilge, 12pm.
Krewe of Poseidon, 6pm.
Sunday, January 28th:
French Quarter:
krewedelusion, 7pm.
Slidell:
Krewe of Antheia, 1pm.
Marigny:
‘tit RÉ™x, 4:30pm.
Pearl River:
Krewe of Pearl River Lions Club, 1pm.
New Orleans East:
Krewe of Nefertiti, 1pm.
Friday, February 2nd:
French Quarter:
Krewe of Cork, 3pm.
Metairie:
Krewe of Excalibur, 7pm.
Uptown New Orleans:
Krewe of Oshun, 6pm.
Krewe of Cleopatra, follows.
Krewe of Alla, follows.
Mandeville:
Krewe of Eve, 7pm.
Saturday, February 3rd:
Metairie:
Magical Krewe of Mad Hatters, 5pm.
Uptown New Orleans:
Krewe of Pontchartrain, 11:30am.
Legion of Mars, follows.
Krewe of Choctaw, follows.
Krewe of Freret, follows.
Knights of Sparta/Spartan Society, 5:30pm.
Krewe of Pygmalion, follows.
Slidell:
Krewe de Paws of Olde Towne, 10am.
Madisonville:
Krewe of Tchefuncte, 1pm.
Covington:
Krewe of Olympia, 6pm.
Chalmette:
Knights of Nemesis, 1pm.
Abita Springs:
Krewe of Push Mow, 12pm.
Sunday, February 4th:
French Quarter:
Krewe of Barkus, 2pm.
Metairie:
Krewe of Atlas, 4pm.
Krewe of Caerus, follows.
Uptown New Orleans:
The Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale, 11am.
Krewe of Carrollton, follows.
Krewe of King Arthur, follows.
Slidell:
Krewe of Dionysus, 1pm.
Monday, February 5th:
Westbank:
The Mystic Krewe of Music, 6pm.
Tuesday, February 6th:
Westbank:
The Culinary Queens of New Orleans (TCQNO), 6pm.
Wednesday, February 7th:
Uptown New Orleans:
Krewe of Druids, 6:15pm.
Krewe of Nyx, 6:45pm.
Westbank:
The Krewe of Nandi, 6pm.
Thursday, February 8th:
Metairie:
Krewe of Symphony, 6:30pm.
Uptown New Orleans:
Knights of Babylon, 5:30pm.
Knights of Chaos, follows.
Krewe of Muses, follows.
Friday, February 9th:
French Quarter:
Krewe of Bosom Buddies, 11:30am.
Uptown New Orleans:
Krewe of Hermes, 5:30pm.
Krewe d’Etat, 6:30pm.
Krewe of Morpheus, 7pm.
Slidell:
Krewe of Selene, 6:30pm.
Saturday, February 10th:
Uptown New Orleans:
Krewe of Iris, 11am.
Krewe of Tucks, 12pm.
Westbank:
Krewe of NOMTOC, 10:45am.
Mid-City:
Krewe of Endymion, 4pm.
Bush:
Krewe of Bush, 9am.
Kenner:
Krewe of Isis, 6pm.
Sunday, February 11th:
Metairie:
Krewe of Athena, 5:30pm.
Uptown New Orleans:
Krewe of Okeanos, 11am.
Krewe of Mid-City, follows.
Krewe of Thoth, 12pm.
Krewe of Bacchus, 5:15pm.
Monday, February 12th (Lundi Gras):
Metairie:
Krewe of Centurions, 6:30pm.
Uptown New Orleans:
Krewe of Proteus, 5:15pm.
Krewe of Orpheus, 6pm.
Tuesday, February 13th (Mardi Gras):
Metairie:
Krewe of Argus, 11am.
Krewe of Elks Jeffersonians, follows.
Uptown New Orleans:
Krewe of Zulu, 8am.
Krewe of Rex, 10:30am.
Krewe of Elks Orleans, follows.
Krewe of Crescent City, follows.
Covington:
Carnival in Covington, 10am.
Folsom:
Krewe of Folsom, 2pm.
Saturday, February 17th:
Mandeville:
Krewe du Pooch, 12pm.
Sunday, February 18th:
Covington:
Krewe of Mardi PAWS, 2pm.