MARDI GRAS IN NEW ORLEANS

Parade Photos & Carnival News

Activities start at 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 21 at Taylor Park.  Full story »

Mardi Gras night incident has chiefs worried about upcoming St. Joseph's Day  Full story »

More than 1,500 boxes filled with beads, costumes, pralines, red beans and other tastes of home made it to soliders. Full story »

Keith Spera on the adventures of raising a child in New Orleans.  Full story »

The Elks Krewe of Jeffersonians and the Krewe of Jefferson have announced the winners of their Mardi Gras truck parade contests in Metairie. The Elks gave the grand prize to “Holiday on Parade,” a float by the group D.S.M.C.C.I., led by Captain Eugene Fischer. First runner-up for the grand prize was “Silly Wabbits,” by Captain Pat Vicknair’s Dixie-P-Raiders Carnival... Full story »

Carnival recovery: Back away from the king cake -- and get back into shape with our detox guide.  Full story »

On Sunday, Feb. 21, the Hornets will collect beads for the Arc of Greater New Orleans.  Full story »

Pet owners can still register for the Lakefront parade.  Full story »

A samba group that enraged child-welfare advocates by choosing a 7-year-old as a drums corps queen finished last Wednesday in the extravagant parade competition, relegating them to the minor leagues next year. Julia Lira, daughter of Viradouro samba group president Marco Lira, was reduced to tears under the intense focus of photographers and television cameras but eventually danced on... Full story »

Hotels occupancy also at record levels last weekend Full story »

The crowds were gone Wednesday, as was the expanse of debris that covered the streets after the last truck floats rolled the afternoon before, leaving empty reviewing stands and portable toilets dotting the Veterans Memorial Boulevard neutral ground as the last remnants of Mardi Gras 2010 in Metairie. Jefferson Parish officials declared the celebration, fueled this year by the... Full story »

On Mardi Gras night, Mystikal presided over a comeback that felt like a throwback. The New Orleans rapper, born Michael Tyler, first came to prominence in the mid-1990s; he was the platinum-selling Prince of the South until a six-year prison sentence tabled his career. Released in January, he’s already back in the game. He's recording a new album in... Full story »

What will you give up for lent? Full story »

Attending Mardi Gras in New Orleans has always required a certain level of dedication and stamina. We have to learn how to pace ourselves among the weekends of planning, cooking, party-going and parades. Add a wildly successful New Orleans Saints football season when they not only shocked fans by winning the NFC championship against the Minnesota Vikings to secure... Full story »

Here's a sample of media coverage of our Mardi Gras celebration: Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Fat Tuesday In New Orleans, Louisiana! National Public Radio: New Orleans Celebrates Mardi Gras Chicago Tribune/Associated Press: Chilly weather can’t stop New Orleans’ big party Earth911.com: Who’s Taking Care of the 8,000 Tons of Trash From Mardi Gras? American Public Media's Marketplace: Changing the perception of... Full story »