If you’re looking for tips for celebrating Mardi Gras, look no further than this ultimate survival guide to Carnival parades.
Carnival is coming to town, and with it a season of celebration. A major aspect of Mardi Gras is parades, where large floats travel along designated routes as the riders throw Mardi Gras beads and many other goodies down to the crowd below. The crowd’s job is to have a good time in celebration of Fat Tuesday and to catch the beads as they are thrown.
If you’ve never experienced Mardi Gras, here are some tips and tricks for getting in the celebration spirit.
Finding parade routes
Before you can go to a parade, you must find the route it will be taking. Before you can find a route, you must decide where you want to go for Mardi Gras. For those new to the holiday, staying in Baton Rouge is a great way to ease into the season. For those who are ready to dive in head first, New Orleans might be more your pace.
Once you have decided on a place to go, you can look toward news stations and official social media accounts for parade route information. Another great resource is Visit Baton Rouge, which houses many of the parade routes for the Greater Baton Rouge area.
If you’re planning to visit New Orleans, you can download the WDSU Parade Tracker app, which lists parades by date and shows the route on a map. As the parade rolls, the app provides live updates so you can track how much longer you’ll have to wait.
When looking for a spot on the parade route, consider how long you want to wait. The farther you are from the beginning of the route, the longer you’ll need to be patient. If you’re someone who uses the restroom often, consider how far you are from a public restroom or from the house of a friend or family member.
Once you have your parade picked out and know where you’re going, you can start assembling your Mardi Gras survival kit.
The waiting game
Although the good times will be rolling, the parade floats will be crawling. Typically, parade floats travel their route at 5 miles per hour. If you aren’t at the start of the parade route, it can take hours to get to you once the parade begins. Let’s talk about what you should bring to keep yourself occupied and comfortable.
One of the top items in my parade survival kit is a lawn chair. There are many cheap chair options at Walmart, Academy Sports and Outdoors and Dick’s Sporting Goods. If you plan to drive, you can use the trunk of your car or truck bed as a place to relax.
To keep yourself busy, you can bring a book, electronic devices, crafting supplies or your friends to quickly pass the time. If you plan to use devices, be sure to grab a portable charger and charging wires. A camera may also come in handy when recording memories with friends.
If you’re attending a day parade, it’s important to put on sunscreen and pack some in your bag. You’ll be in the sun for a while, so it’s important to protect yourself from the sun’s powerful ultraviolet rays.
Food and drinks
Since you may be waiting a while for the parade to get to you, it’s important that you bring food and water – you won’t want to overheat and get dehydrated or deal with a grumbling stomach.
Typically, my family brings an ice chest to parades filled with water bottles, juice pouches and maybe a couple sodas. We also like to bring lunch meat and bread or pre-made sandwiches, which we store in the ice chest with the drinks. If you have a sweet tooth, a king cake would make a great addition to your survival kit, and you can pick one up on the way.
Any conveniently packaged snacks, such as granola bars, are also great to bring, along with a garbage bag for trash. Remember, Mardi Gras is not an excuse to litter. Always ensure you are properly disposing of your trash.
Catching beads
Once the parade floats finally arrive, you’ll be able to get your hands on some Mardi Gras beads. You’ll want something to store them in so consider bringing a wagon, an old laundry basket or a bucket.
Be aware that if you plan to keep them in the back of your car, the smell of the beads may linger for some time. The beads may even stain your seats, so it’s a good idea to put a towel down first. If you drive a truck, the bed of your truck is the perfect place to store your Mardi Gras haul.
You don’t have to do anything crazy to get thrown beads, just have a good time and hype up the parade float riders. Dance along to the music and you’ll be just fine.
Safety tips
Mardi Gras is a time for celebration and having fun. However, there are many aspects of Mardi Gras that need to be taken into consideration when talking about safety. Here’s some ways to make sure you are safe while having a good time.
When traveling to a new place, it’s always best to bring friends with you. If you go alone, be sure to share your location with your friends or family. Let people know when you plan to be back or if you will be later than expected.
When parking your car upon arrival, be sure to face your windshield away from the road. This will protect your windshield from rogue beads that can shatter it.
If large clumps of beads are thrown down to you, it might seem like a good idea to try catching them. However, beads are made of small, plastic balls, which quickly become heavy in bunches and painful when falling long distances. Taking beads to the face is never a fun experience. You always want to let these clumps hit the ground first before picking them up.
It is very important that you never walk in front of a parade float. You should especially never try to cross between the float and the vehicle pulling it. The driver of the float cannot see you when you try this, and it is very likely that you will be run over. Instead, wait until the float has completely passed and there is a considerable gap between floats to cross the road.
Throughout the parade, you may choose to drink. Be sure that you are drinking responsibly, and never drive under the influence. If you do not have a designated driver, you can utilize Uber, Lyft or any other car service to safely return home.
