Mardi Gras across Louisiana

The thrill of Mardi Gras in New Orleans is no secret. For one hundred and seventy two years the “biggest free party on earth” has been attracting visitors to the Big Easy for a one-of-a-kind experience. This year the pre-Lenten festivities begin in January and last until midnight on Tuesday, 16 February.  Non-stop parades, music and dancing fill the streets from the French Quarter to the Garden District.

A bird flying across south Louisiana during Carnival time would certainly get an eyeful from above New Orleans. But he wouldn’t have to fly far across the quiet swamps to come upon another party. Then another. And another. In Cajun Country, of course, French heritage demands no less than a proper celebration of Mardi Gras.

In the heart of Cajun Country, surrounding the city of Lafayette, Carnival custom revolves around the “Courir du Mardi Gras” – the Fat Tuesday run. In small towns across south Louisiana, in a tradition that began in the early 19th century, local folk don homemade costumes and mount their horses for a ride around town that ends with a party. For good examples, look to the towns of Eunice, Iota, Mamou and Vermilionville. As part of its annual celebration, Eunice also claims to make the world’s biggest king cake.

Houma, meanwhile, claims to have the second-biggest Mardi Gras celebration in Louisiana. A dozen parades run in the Houma area during the Carnival season. To create a safe-haven for children, the city sets up an alcohol- and cigarette-free zone along parade routes. On Fat Tuesday, the city’s oldest club, the Krewe of Houmas, winds through the city.

In Lake Charles, the action centers around a single big event: About 50 carnival clubs come together to parade in the city’s gargantuan Krewe of Krewes parade. The town of New Roads, an area whose settlement dates to French colonial times, boasts the state’s second-oldest Mardi Gras celebration, which began in the late 19th century. Just downriver from New Roads, Baton Rouge proper holds a Carnival commensurate with the capital city’s size and stature. The Krewe of Jupiter usually gets things started, followed by a string of parades such as the krewes of Mystique de la Capitale (the city’s oldest), and culminating with the Spanish Town parade.

While the parades and the types of celebration differ from place to place, what is common to Mardi Gras festivities throughout Louisiana is that people of all ages are sure to have a lot of fun. This includes Fat Tuesday in North Louisiana as well.

Shreveport’s parade organization – the Krewe of Centaur – is the second-biggest in Louisiana. Between Shreveport and Monroe alone, hundreds of thousands of spectators cluster along parade routes. The cities of north Louisiana have embraced the seasonal traditions of their sister to the south, including King Cakes and glamorous balls.

Meanwhile, carnival in Natchitoches provides a historic architectural backdrop similar to that of New Orleans’ Vieux Carré – but at much calmer pace. The Krewe of Dionysus parade is an all-day event, with a daytime party in the scenic town’s historic district melting into the evening-time parade.