The countdown to Mardi Gras begins Saturday in New Orleans as Carnival season kicks off with dozens of costumed revelers and a brass band set to crowd onto a streetcar for a nighttime ride down historic St. Charles Avenue.
The vibrant and eclectic city of New Orleans is set to burst into a riot of colors, music, and celebration as the countdown to Mardi Gras begins this Saturday. Carnival season kicks off with a myriad of events, from streetcar rides to walking club processions, each steeped in tradition and exuberance.
While Mardi Gras is widely known as a secular celebration, it carries a deep connection to Christian and Roman Catholic traditions. Commencing on January 6, the twelfth day after Christmas, the Carnival season continues until Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras itself. This final day of revelry precedes Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, a period of fasting in Christian tradition.
New Orleans stands as the epicenter of Carnival celebrations in the United States, boasting extravagant parades, dazzling balls, and street parties that range from simple walking club processions to high-tech extravaganzas with massive floats and animated figures. Other communities along the Louisiana and Gulf Coast also join the festivities, with Mobile, Alabama, claiming the title of the nation’s oldest Mardi Gras observances.
Saturday's festivities commence with the annual streetcar ride hosted by the Phunny Phorty Phellows, a group of masked and costumed revelers aboard a New Orleans streetcar. The journey begins in the Carrollton neighborhood and takes the lively group down the historic St. Charles Avenue.
The Phellows, born from a satirical Carnival Krewe in 1878, rejuvenated their tradition in 1981. The event marks the evolution of Carnival celebrations in the city.
Simultaneously, in the French Quarter, the Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc, honoring the French heroine Joan of Arc, stages its annual parade. This walking club’s procession marks the birthday of Joan of Arc and concludes with a ceremony symbolizing the end of the Christmas season and the commencement of Carnival.
Mardi Gras isn't just a cultural spectacle. It's a significant economic driver for the city, especially after a challenging 2021 when festivities were curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mark Romig of tourism agency New Orleans & Co. notes a strong rebound in tourism, with a particularly impressive resurgence in 2023.
Despite a relatively brief Carnival season this year, Romig remains optimistic about tourism numbers, emphasizing the economic importance of Mardi Gras to local businesses.
The conclusion of the Joan of Arc parade is marked by a ceremony featuring the iconic king cake, a pastry adorned with purple, green, and gold sugar or icing—a signature delicacy of the season. Local establishments witness a surge in king cake sales, despite a loosely followed custom advising against consuming the treat before January 6.
Reflecting on concerns from 2022, when parade routes were shortened due to crime concerns and a depleted police force, the city has taken measures to address security. In 2023, parade routes were restored, thanks to support from neighboring police jurisdictions and the usual contingent of Louisiana State Police, reinforcing the law enforcement presence during the celebrations.