Carnival season starts on January 6th each year, and Mardi Gras Day is the LAST day of the celebration. Mardi Gras Day moves in the calendar as it is tied to Easter. MGD 2008 will be February 5th and MGD 2010 will be February 16th.

The parades in New Orleans start about 11 days before MGD. There are evening parades on weeknights and both daytime and evening parades on weekends. The last parade ends during the late afternoon on MGD.

No large parades go through the French Quarter – the FQ is too crowded at MG and the parades have used Saint Charles Avenue + Canal Street since the 1960s.

New Orleans operates almost normally during the first week of parades and you just have to watch for traffic problems caused by the parades.

The height of the celebration is the last Thursday thru Tuesday, and that is when the large crowds of tourists appear in the French Quarter (the ones you see on TV). MG also tends to dominate the city by the Friday before MGD and many businesses & attractions close or operate with reduced hours.

It is customary (and fun) to costume on MGD, though no one will have any problems if they don’t. Any costume is OK and you are welcome to recycle one from Halloween or whatever if you don’t want to buy a costume here.

I recommend staying at a hotel in the French Quarter or central business district. Use the hotel as a base, much like staying “on-site” at DisneyWorld. If you arrive in a car or rent one, park it in a lot or garage and use taxis & public transit.

Regarding crime, use the same common sense you need in any city in the world and there is little chance you will be a victim of anything except a hangover. There is some extra concern about pickpockets due to the thick crowds, so don’t carry your whole life in your wallet.

Check for more info on MG in New Orleans.

Mardi-Gras originated in my home town, Mobile Al. and is celebrated across the Gulf coast and is even making its way north. The two biggest are In New Orleans and Mobile.