Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, LA

Masks and brass bands, costumes and beads. Mardi Gras conjures images of revelry exclusive to the annual festival. With origins in Medieval Europe, the transformation to Mardi Gras of today, with its colors, brass bands and Kings, is credited to New Orleans.

The masked, costumed groups of revelers, known as krewes, formed from private social clubs. Members of these clubs fund their participation, making the Mardi Gras celebration free to viewers.

Most would be surprised to find that there is no "official" Mardi Gras, that the city neither organizes, owns, nor funds the annual celebration. Mardi Gras is a holiday, and like Christmas and Easter, belongs to everyone.

Perhaps the most familiar events are the parades and the "throws". Float riders traditionally toss trinkets, including the famous Mardi Gras beads, to onlookers in a tradition founded in the 1870's.

Mardi Gras is a family event, though some parents may feel more comfortable attending parades near the beginning on St. Charles Avenue. Another option is in suburban Metairie, just 10 minutes from New Orleans. The Caesar parade in Metairie is the one Disney World showcases on Mardi Gras day.

Those with limited time to attend may want to focus on the weekend before Mardi Gras, when two of the biggest parades of the season are presented.

Points of Interest

Bourbon Street in New Orleans, LA

Bourbon Street is one of the most famous landmarks in the world and is located in the heart of the busy French Quarter.