Mardi Gras - it's party time in New Orleans. No, that's wrong. It's party time in New Orleans 365 days of the year and Mardi Gras is just the biggest excuse.
Mardi Gras is literally the French for "Fat Tuesday". It's the feast day before 40 days of fasting for Lent. So the actual date depends on when Easter is. This year Mardi Gras is March 4 and you might still be able to pick up a hotel room even now. If not, in 2004 the big day is February 24.
But anyway, New Orleans isn't the sort of place to restrict its celebrating to just one day. The first Mardi Gras parade is January 6 and they continue building up towards Fat Tuesday. They're pretty much a daily event from two Fridays before the big one.
And don't ignore the rest of the year. There's the Jazz Fest, arts festivals, Halloween... There always seems to be something to celebrate.
In the French Quarter the party never stops, 365 days a year. Then there's so much else to see and do. Whether it's visiting antebellum mansions straight out of Gone With The Wind, taking a boat tour among the gators in the Louisiana swamps or shopping for ornaments in the French Market or Royal Street, you'll never be bored.
New Orleans really is the nation's party city. Any time.
When To Go
Everybody thinks that Mardi Gras is the time to see the Big Easy. But the weather can be distinctly chilly, although it can be warm. It's heated up a little more in time for Jazz Fest at the end of April and it can quite hot by then. Summer days are frequently stifling, but oh those summer nights. Whenever you come there'll always be something going on, just be sure to bring some stout walking shoes and an umbrella.
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