Most people therefore are wrapped up fairly warm, even if the sun is out. The event itself has not been cancelled, with some balls likely to go ahead for example. If you’re in New Orleans and want to learn a bit about Mardi Gras, we definitely recommend heading to Mardi Gras World. Please scroll to the end to leave a comment, I was thinking of visiting NOLA for local food and jazz music this Feb 20-23, 2021, and have a few questions. The largest celebrations usually happens on the two weekends before Mardi Gras itself, which always falls on a Tuesday. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Whilst there are public portable restrooms in some locations, they are not everywhere. Mobile still holds Mardi Gras celebrations throughout the year (and has an excellent Mardi Gras museum), but New Orleans has definitely eclipsed Mobile as the US capital of Mardi Gras now. Where to Watch the Mardi Gras Parades in New Orleans, Things to Do in New Orleans During Mardi Gras 2021, Save Money in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, Why You Should Visit New Orleans During Mardi Gras, Disadvantages of Visiting New Orleans During Mardi Gras, How to Find Accommodation During Mardi Gras in New Orleans, Further Reading for your New Orleans Mardi Gras Experience, SpringHill Suites by Marriott New Orleans Downtown, La Quinta by Wyndham New Orleans Downtown, road trip through the Deep South of the USA, Lee Circle – this traffic circle offers a unique view of the parades going up and down St. Charles. The most famous (or perhaps infamous?) Mardi Gras is an essential part of life in New Orleans, and the best way to learn about it in the city is at Mardi Gras World. ), civil rights activity Homer Plessy, and of course, Marie Laveau. The schedule for these Krewes has not been announced for 2021 yet, but in previous years they have normally paraded on either the Sunday or Monday directly before Mardi Gras. However, unless you bring a chair, you’ll likely be standing for a prolonged period. So whenever you visit, you will be able to see a parade. The only real disadvantage is that you have to pay for them, so obviously they are more expensive than just finding a spot on the street. © 2021 www.calendardate.com. $300 a night sounds much more what to expect! In addition to closures for traffic, some streets will be blocked off to pedestrians as well. To do this, we store your data as outlined in our privacy policy. As always, if you have any feedback or questions, let us know in the comments – and do feel free to share this post on social media if you found it useful! There are two main disadvantages to visiting New Orleans during Mardi Gras. A similar tour is available here, and there’s a shorter 1 hour tour here. I imagine even on Airbnbs it’s probably upward of $300 a night! However, as you are elevated, you might not feel quite as much a part of the proceedings compared to being on street level. February 15, 2021 by: Derrick Rossignol Facebook Twitter. All the city parades have been cancelled for Mardi Gras in New Orleans in 2021. You’ll also get to play in the “costume closet”, where you’ll have access to a whole range of outfits you can dress up in for photos! Alternatively, you can take a tour which includes the Mardi Gras experience, such as this one (which also includes a cocktail!). Mardi Gras 2021: A Year of New Traditions Floats in the Oaks photo courtesy of Missy Fields Dalton Mardi Gras 2021 will go down in history a… Read More The biggest parades in New Orleans happen on Mardi Gras day, which is the Tuesday before Lent begins, 47 days before Easter. Mardi Gras 2021 falls on Tuesday, February 16, 2021. Ok, so this one is a bit weird, but hey, that’s New Orleans. There are multiple parades a day following various routes, so you shouldn’t have difficulty finding one to watch. We did a 2 hour walking tour of St Louis Cemetery #1, most famous of all the New Orleans cemeteries. Last Updated Feb 5, 2021 at 12:30 pm MST. Be aware that the action here can get a little adult, so you might want to steer clear if you’re looking for a more family friendly experience. I’m taking the Manchac Mystic Wildlife Kayak Swamp Tour, which includes transportation from the city as well. Excited to be heading to NOLA for Mardi Gras next month, so enjoyed learning more about the history and seeing your photos of what we can expect. Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your comment! You’ll want to read the guidance on the NOLA website to decide if these restrictions mean you want to visit or not: https://ready.nola.gov/incident/coronavirus/safe-reopening/. As well as the previously mentioned specific tours such as the cemetery tour, there are lots of other tours available which cover more of the city and its history. Have an amazing time and do let us know if you have any questions. Love this column by the way, and will follow you guys from now on.:-). As Mardi Gras nears, Mayor Cantrell and other city leaders came up with a strategy to discourage large gatherings. This one should be obvious – we went to New Orleans during Mardi Gras, so naturally we took in a few parades! I would recommend taking a kayak swamp tour instead of any other swamp tour (especially the ones that feed or let you handle the gators) as they can be very detrimental to the native wildlife. We are really looking forward to our visit and will definitely do all of the above, especially the barbequed shrimp dish! Tuesday, February 16th is day number 47 of the 2021 calendar year with -8 days until Mardi Gras 2021. Back in New Orleans, one of the more famous streets in the French Quarter is Bourbon Street, so naturally we had to explore this. We only recommend products and services that we use ourselves, and will always link to relevant information, regardless of whether or not there is an affiliate program. Mardi Gras for the year 2021 is celebrated/ observed on Tuesday, February 16th. That adventure started in Charleston, South Carolina, and we went through four states, ultimately ending up in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. As mentioned above, because Mardi Gras is linked to a religious date, which is in turn linked to cycles of the Moon, the date changes every year. Many homes near Tulane University and also in the Garden District will have masses of colorful azalea bushes in bloom. You can check out all the posts from our southern USA road trip here – more are on the way as I fill in more of the blanks. Mardi Gras 2021 is on the 16th February, with the main celebrations happening in the two weeks leading up to the date itself. In terms of watching a parade, the routes are very long, and we found that the further from Canal Street we went, the better chances we had in terms of getting a good spot. Getting here from the city centre is a little tricky. Mardi Gras officially ends in New Orleans at midnight on “Fat Tuesday”, so there won’t be Mardi Gras related activities after that day. The US custom of celebrating Mardi Gras started in Mobile, Alabama in 1703 by a Frenchman. If you’re not into large crowds of people, streets being closed off and all the things that go along with a city partying for a couple of weeks, this might not be for you. I have to say, you guys over in the USA sure know how to put on a good parade 😀. If you just want to try the famous coffee and beignets, you can queue for the takeout line which is often quicker than waiting for a table. But Mardi Gras 2021 will be different. Another part of town is out St. Charles Ave. Pascal Manale’s. The advantages of watching the Mardi Gras parades from a balcony are that you will have a good view, the chance of seating, and the ability to buy drinks. Just call the Mardi Gras World shuttle service (number on their website), and they’ll come pick you up. I’m not going to lie, finding accommodation in New Orleans during Mardi Gras can be a challenge. Obvious really. We ended up taking public transport, which gave us the opportunity to take the lovely old New Orleans tram, but did also require a twenty minute walk to the house from the tram stop. Win a Yardi Gras 2021 Grand Prize Package Courtesy of Gambit and Miller Lite Grand Prize Photo Contest: Email Gambit at vip@gambitweekly.com a photo of YOUR "Yardi Gras … As featured on It was such an enjoyable time I spent reading about and seeing the photos you shared of Mardi Gras First, it’s going to be super busy. The cities solution? Tickets for your visit and tour can be bought in advance here. Just near Cafe du Monde is Jackson Square, a historic park which sits in the French Quarter. Great post. Our pleasure! A friend of mine went to Jazz fest in NOLA and she loved it. Book as soon as you find a reasonable deal as they sell out quickly, and good luck! The gardens are also well worth exploring, and it’s a nice break from the city centre madness of New Orleans during Mardi Gras! We experienced Mardi Gras in New Orleans as part of a road trip through the Deep South of the USA. balconies in New Orleans during Mardi Gras are those which are found on Bourbon Street in the French quarter. City officials in New Orleans are trying to keep Mardi Gras festivities under control to stem the spread of Covid-19. The tour was a lot of fun, and we learnt a great deal about burial in New Orleans. Great tips Dixie, thank you so much! And that’s not even mentioning the floats, which are truly mobile works of art. Note – in order to visit the St Louis Cemetery #1 you have to be on a tour with a guide who is specifically licensed to visit the cemeteries. This it is not barbeque, but rather a unique dish of whole large cooked shrimp served in a sauce of seasonings and light butter in a bowl. This turned out to be a good bet. We spent about a week in New Orleans when we visited for Mardi Gras, and as well as watching various Mardi Gras parades and events, we did as much sight-seeing as we could. The most popular parades will be very busy, but if you just want to get some fun throws, head along to a middle of the day parade, and you’ll find yourself quickly weighed down by more beads than you’ll know what to do with! The other best place to go during Mardi Gras has to be St. Louis. The tour covered both the cemeteries, and also touched on some of the Voodoo culture of New Orleans – with infamous Voodoo Queen of New Orleans Marie Laveau buried in the cemetery we visited. If you’ve never been you should see it. Go To: There are a number of these grandstand locations on St. Charles Ave, with two options in Lafayette Square, and two on the intersection of St. Charles and Poydras. Second, they have their own portable restrooms that you have access to. Each of these options has advantages and disadvantages, and I’ll go through each of these. Sydney Sauna's Week Off. 2021 Mardi Gras Parade: More tickets available - CLICK HERE TO ORDER! Finally, you can also watch the Mardi Gras parades from anywhere along the parade routes themselves. And yes… there is so much more of the USA we want to explore, and Nashville is certainly on the list. Buy and sell secondary tickets for UCSA O.Week 2021 | Mardi Gras (R18) taking place at 90 Ilam Road, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand This Mardi Gras, the Minus18 Queer Formal will be online – so EVERYONE can join in the fun safely. New Orleans gets tough with Mardi Gras celebrations. Being a subscriber also makes you eligible to enter our monthly travel and photography giveaways! There are lots of tours to choose from – we’d suggest you take a look at Viator’s tours as they offer lots of different day tours, both group tours and private tours from New Orleans. And after visiting Mardi Gras World when I was there, I 100% need to get to Mardi Gras one of these years!! This is a really interesting house to visit, largely because it was built to the vision of one couple, who had the whole house designed around their specific requirements. Don't miss out on our exclusive monthly giveaways with lots of fun travel and photography related prizes! See our guides to. Universal is remaking Mardi Gras for this pandemic year (remember, the annual event was already well into its planned run when COVID-19 landed last year). Just make sure you eat lots of King cake and have at least one Hurricane cocktail 😉 Have an awesome time! It was well-written and helpful. Mardi Gras 2021: New Orleans finds new ways to party this year No parades, limited gatherings and shuttered bars. People even bring little ladders to stand on for optimum viewing. Mardi Gras is just around the corner so get ready to laissez les bon temps roulez! So, aim for the highlights, with the Krewes of Rex, Endymion, Zulu and Bacchus being particularly noteworthy. New Orleans is tamping down its annual Mardi Gras celebrations this week and health officials in … Right next to the aforementioned Holiday Inn, Polymnia & St. Charles – this intersection is by the Avenue Pub, which has an excellent balcony for watching. Officially, Mardi Gras starts on the 6th of January, and runs until Fat Tuesday. The 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival is set to explode in all its sequined glory across Sydney this week with a jam-packed program. Prior to visiting Mardi Gras, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but I imagined a fairly adult environment, with beads being bargained for clothes and revellers all over town. So there are quite a few restrictions in place in New Orleans at the moment, including some around live entertainment, dining and drinking. Good venues in Bourbon Street with balconies include Bourbon Vieux, Bourbon Cowboy and Cat’s Meow. ... Email. Despite New Orleans being focused almost entirely on Mardi Gras, we found it was still possible to do a lot of sight-seeing in the city and surrounds. It’s also harder to interact with the parade participants, who tend to aim their throws at the throngs on ground level. Royal Street in the French Quarter. This date can fall anywhere from the 3rd February through to 10th March. ), and there are more than enough beads coming off the floats that you don’t need to give up your clothing for them. As well as traditional hotels like the above, there are of course other options, although these prices will also go up during Mardi Gras. Your best option is to book as far in advance as possible, or be prepared to put up with properties that are a little distance from the center. While in the Garden District do have lunch or dinner at Commander’s Palace, it is a blue building on a corner across from one of the historic graveyards. The main Mardi Gras parades happen on the Tuesday itself, with a good many other parades in the week leading up to Mardi Gras day itself. Fat Tuesday is the last day of the Carnival season as it always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Before we get into all of that, lets answer some popular Mardi Gras questions you  might have. Your email address will not be published. Well, the answer is that New Orleans is built on a swamp. Although we’d advise putting that day aside to enjoy the festivities anyway! It’s just worth bearing in mind, in New Orleans anyway, that the day of Mardi Gras itself is a holiday, so not everything will be open. If you’re looking for something a little different to do in New Orleans, and love historic properties as much as Jess does, then a visit to Longue Vue House and Gardens should definitely be near the top of your list. It also had its downsides, which I’ll go into a little later in the post. Mardi Gras in New Orleans is an amazing experience. This was a ten minute ferry ride across the river into the heart of downtown, so not too much hassle, and was a very quiet neighbourhood, so we were able to escape the hustle of the main Mardi Gras parties when we wanted to. We were actually in New Orleans for my birthday over Mardi Gras – it is an awesome location for a birthday! If you are looking for a more raucous Mardi Gras experience though, Bourbon Street is a good place to start. Love the pictures! Two highlights for us were the Lundi Gras celebrations, which featured live music and evening fireworks, and the Bacchus Bash street party, which took place on the Sunday before Mardi Gras Tuesday, the same day as the Bacchus parade took place, and also featured live music throughout the day. Visitors, please note: January and February parades have been canceled for 2021. Mardi Gras is also held relatively early in the year, and despite what you might think about Louisiana, it can get pretty cold here in February. All the information on the parade times and routes can be found on the official New Orleans Mardi Gras website, plus you can download apps for your smartphone to get live updates on parade locations which is very useful when you’re standing and waiting for them to start rolling by! Will it be worth the trip during this pandemic? Travel tales, photography and a dash of humor, Last updated: January 6, 2021. ... On First Street, it's like shark week — they sank their teeth into it. Thank you Laurence Norah, the good things here for the readers is the the full guides and informations that you gives, because it very important before to go to place they want to go, that’s why this blog is awesome for me, this is a must read of every traveller this can helping them to budget and enjoy their vacation. This is a ticketed attraction, and you can buy your tickets in advance here. I fell in love with New Orleans in 2016 – I can’t get enough now! Cajun Encounters offers a tour with pickup, or you can drive yourself out and save a bit of money. The City of New Orleans cannot cancel Mardi Gras because it is a religious Holiday, however we will not be able to celebrate the Holiday this year as we have in the past I wouldn’t let these two things put you off experiencing Mardi Gras in New Orleans, or coming to New Orleans during Mardi Gras. And there are still floats, but they’re being pushed by people rather than drawn by tractors. Longue Vue house is included on the Go City New Orleans Pass. We hope you found it useful. This is a brioche style dough covered in sugar, with the twist being that there’s a figurine of a baby inside. We’d also recommend trying to catch some of the other parades during your time in the city so you get the full experience. The Wednesday is known as Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of fasting in the run up to Easter, 46 days later. Since then Galveston, the third largest Mardi Gras celebration in the United States, offers the unique chance to experience sand between your toes and gorgeous beach sunsets while taking in the revelry and lavish parades known to dominate Galveston Island during carnival season. Subscribe to our monthly Newsletter where we share our latest travel news and tips. I f you’re looking for a unique Mardi Gras experience in 2021, grab some beads and hit the beach.. Mardi Gras! Here are some options for hotels in New Orleans to consider. Do Visit: It’s based on a religious event, and falls on the Tuesday before Lent begins in the Christian Calendar, also known as Shrove Tuesday. Mardi Gras 2021 in New Orleans – A Full Guide. City Announces Roadway Closures for Week of Mardi Gras NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans today announced several road and area closures that will take place during the Mardi Gras holiday. The plantations can all be visited as a day trip from New Orleans, either by car or by tour. In order to prepare for all those days of fasting, many people would traditionally eat a lot of fatty food in the run up to Lent, and particularly on the last day – hence “Fat Tuesday”. Whatever the obligations, King Cake is good, it’s colorful, and it’s definitely worth getting your hands on a slice when you’re in town. We did see a baby alligator though, which was pretty cool, as well as some other Florida wildlife including a racoon and wild pigs. There’s a traditional “sweep” at midnight by police, firefighters and first responders to end the festivities and mark the start of Lent.