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Going to Mardi gras 09. Any advice?
EliteLamer
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I really know nothing about it. I hear that I will get robbed though so I am taking Fox Trot Military grade mace 8-)
Besides that I know nothing and feel quite unprepared.
Besides that I know nothing and feel quite unprepared.
SEGA
EliteLamer on
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First off, Mardi Gras can be as crazy as you've heard, but it really doesn't have to be. We go every year, and whenever we bring someone new, they are surprised to see that (at least the way my family does it) it's basically a huge block party/picnic.
Are you going alone, or with a group, or meeting people who know what they're doing?
Are you interested in the parades or do you just want to get shitfaced for days straight?
When are you arriving / leaving?
Provide more details, and I can probably help you out.
What are the top 3 things should I do?
Oh should I bring beads because I hear people try to sell them there.
The three biggest parades are Endymion (Saturday evening), Bacchus (Sunday evening), and Orpheus (Monday evening). They typically have "celebrities" as the Grand Marshalls (I think this year it's Kid Rock and Val Kilmer). The parades on Mardi Gras day are a big deal for traditional reasons, but they aren't as good as the three superkrewes. Typically are smaller parades before the big ones... normally smaller and more kid friendly. Check http://www.mardigras.com/parades/ for the schedules of the parades and their routes. Most parades follow the Uptown route, but Endymion (the biggest) has it's own route. I can tell you good places to catch the parades if you want.
Everyone needs to see Bourbon St., if only to say that you've done it. It's got a good crowd on it all day long, but it gets insanely crowded at night, so go early if you want to actually see stuff. Yes, you will see titties. Yes, you will witness very drunk people. For locals, it's always fun to go to Bourbon and see all the tourists wearing 50 beads around their necks. If you don't want to be easily identified as a tourist, keep your bead wearing to a minimum (3 at the most (purple, green, and gold)). Stop in at Pat O'Brien's for a hurricane, but it'll be expensive and crowded. If you plan on attempting to get on the balconies of the bars on Bourbon, bring along more beads to throw to drunk chicks.
You will do a lot of walking, so wear shoes that are comfortable and (if you're hitting up the French Quarter at night) can be cleaned after they're thrown up on.
I'll try to add more tips later.
Like a really, really bad idea.
The areas where the parades go though weren't hit that bad to begin with (the Uptown route goes through historic areas of the city, and they're historic for a reason - they withstand hurricanes). That being said, the areas where tourists go (parade routes, French Quarter, downtown) are in really good shape. It's not until you start venturing into the neighborhoods that you start seeing the areas that were hardest hit and still not back.
Also, dont pee in public. Anywhere. it is one of the few things not looked kindly on, and police everywhere will stop you.
I would suggest doing touristy stuff on saturday, hitting the quarter some. Hit Bacchus on Sunday. Relax monday, and then see Orpheus. Then that night, go into the Frenchman Street area for the traditional monday night Lundi Gras festival. French Quarter Mardi Gras day is fun, but also there are parades rolling from like 9am in the morning until late afternoon, if you can make it up.
Most importantly, be safe.
Repeat after me.
"The entire city is below sea level. The ENTIRE CITY IS BELOW SEA LEVEL."
I'm not a fan of that kind of stupidly stubborn engineering. Just my .02
While it might be cleaned up quite nicely, if there's any chance of a decent size storm, leave. Immediately.
I would think that that would be pretty obvious.
Always use the bathroom before leaving the hotel.
Don't stray too far outside the parade routes.
Don't get into fights, or really anything that would draw the police attention.
There are alot of rent-a-cops for Mardi Gras, don't mess with them.
They are just boobs, everyone's got em.
Use the trolly and buses to get around, parades (and the large influx of tourists) will makes driving a bitch AND New Orleans roads are notoriously shitty.
Do not buy beads. Ever. This is a scam. Go to a parade and catch them. You'll get bigger and better ones for free. Which will be more likely to get you boobs if that is your goal.
Get a costume together if you can, homemade or otherwise. Become part of the party instead of just some guy there watching.
Plan ahead for food if you can. There are not a lot of good options for late night food in the city, so eat before you head out for the night if you can, and make note of places in the area that have food before you are waaay too drunk to go looking.
NOPD does not fuck around during Mardi Gras. That doesn't mean that they are stalking the streets checking ID. Their main focus is keeping crowds under control. That means they let some things slide, but other shit like fighting or being generally dangerous gets a serious crackdown. And keep in mind that everything shuts down over Mardi Gras. If you get arrested, you could very well be in the tank for a week.
And Iceman, don't be an ass. Should we abandon Holland too? While I'm sure everyone was deeply impressed by your advanced opinions on city planning and engineering, maybe you should also learn a little bit about weather. Namely that hurricane season won't start for another FOUR FUCKING MONTHS.
Bourbon is as crazy as you hear, but it isn't a mile long stretch of nubile co-eds with low self esteem. They're there, but there's no one screening at the door, if you will. You will see horrifying farmwife titties and all other manner of things. You haven't lived until you've seen a clown puking all over himself. It's worth experiencing once. But Bourbon is like a factory, and the only thing they make is shame.
Once you've soaked that in, go down to the clubs on Frenchmen. If you follow Decatur away from Canal, it'll eventually turn into Frenchmen when you cross Esplanade. This is where locals go to party. If Bourbon is like a giant frat party on Mardi Gras, Frenchmen is like living an acid trip.
Things have been pretty bad as of late. I want to say that if you stay in the right areas and avoid the wrong ones, you'll be fine. But you don't really know the city.
I also want to say that the large crowds of people and bright lights will deter nastiness. But more drunk tourists mean more marks.
I guess the best answer is to take a few precautions. Dummy wallet sounds good to me. As does pepper spray. If it's late and you don't know where you're going and/or are drunk, take a cab. In general avoid being alone, lost, and in the dark.