Mardi Gras New Orleans
Look past the stereotype of rowdy, and sometimes scantily clad, revelers begging for beads to find a city alive with entertainment and fun for the better part of a month. Starting on February 15 and continuing to the official “Fat Tuesday” on March 4, the celebration will see New Orleans’ streets filled with parades, presented by more than 50 krewes, that feature music, dancing, and souvenirs ranging from the ubiquitous beads and plastic doubloons to hand-painted coconuts and decorated shoes. And New Orleans is serious about its native celebration; by law, float riders must always be wearing a mask.