Anyone from New Orleans or familiar with Mardi Gras?

[TxJasmine]

DH and I are thinking of taking our 2 kids - 7 and 8 - to New Orleans this weekend. This will be the first Mardi Gras for me and the kids. DH went many years ago. We are planning on going to some parades in Metairie (because it's more kid-friendly), but I have some questions. How early do you need to be at the parade route? Will Metairie be really crowded? Should the kids wear something that says this is their first Mardi Gras in order to get noticed? Are there really lots of throws? Will the parade be cancelled if it's raining?

There is a wealth of information on the DIS, and I'm hoping that someone will be able to answer my questions!

 

[darlene9947]

Ya'll should have a blast!! It does get crowded on Veterans Blvd., but it's mostly a different type of crowd than what you'll find in New Orleans. And as far as rain goes, I honestly cannot remember a parade being cancelled on Mardi Gras day because of a little rain! It might get pushed back an hour or two, but I can't recall them cancelling entirely. On Mardi Gras day you might want to get out there for about 7 in the morning. People line up all along Veterans early in the morning and set up chairs, tables, etc. The parade goes down one side of Veterans, which is a large divided blvd. You can usually park across the street in the parking lots of the various businesses that run all along Veterans. I'd definately put a large sign on a stick or something saying something to the effect "Our 1st Mardi Gras! Visiting from Texas!" They will catch a ton of stuff. The Argus parade is then followed by the truck parades. This is when they will really catch a lot of throws. If you decide to try one of the parades in New Orleans, your best bet is around the intersection of Napoleon Ave. & St. Charles Ave. Very family oriented neighborhood. Great place to catch Bacchus, one of our superkrewes. Elijah Wood will reign as Bacchus XXXVI this year. Lee Ann Rimes is the Grand Marshall of Endymion this year. Ya'll have fun.

 

[TxJasmine]

Darlene,

Thank you so much for the info! I am really looking forward to going, and I think it will be quite a unique experience. My kids are also really excited!

 

[jwsqrdplus2]

Everything Darlene says is true, except last year they cancelled (rescheduled to another day) several parades due to lightning. A little rain won't stop the parades, but lightning and high winds will cause a reschedule for safety reasons. I usually take my girls to the parades on the West Bank because that is where I live, so I don't know much about the ones in Slidell.

Have a great time!