Beads. Parades. Friends. Fun. These are just some of the things that come to mind when Mardi Gras season comes around. I’ve been parading and going to Mardi Gras since I was a little kid. Some of the things I’ve learned about preparing for Mardi Gras have been learned over several years. But what if you’re not a “Mardi Gras” type person? What if you’re coming from out of town? Is this your first year? Here are some things to remember when preparing for Mardi Gras:
Wear Comfortable Shoes: I know you’ll want to look good when you go to parades or strutting down
Bourbon but remember to wear comfortable shoes. You won’t realize it but you’ll be doing a lot of walking. When you’re having fun, walking 12 blocks is nothing but when you’re walking back to your car: tired, hungry, and thirsty those shoes will come in handy.
Beads & Beer: I can not stress this enough. DO NOT; I repeat…DO NOT wear a bunch of beads around your neck while holding a plastic cup with beer in it. This may sound funny but it screams the word: Tourist. Criminals know this and you’re more likely to be a target for a crime resulting in an unpleasant night. Once all your beads are caught and the parade is over, put them in a bag to carry them back with you.
Invest In Easily Package Items: I’m talking about foldable chairs, tablets, or even tents that you can pack away easily and carry with you. Parades often don’t start on time or a float will go down; leaving you standing there for hours upon end. Yes, you may not feel like carrying these things but they will come in handy.
Pick A One Block Area For Your “Spot”: If you’re going to a parade, scope out an area within a one block radius as your “spot”. The spot is where you will be setting up shop to catch the parade. It’s a bad idea to say “Oh we’ll just find somewhere to stand when the parade starts”. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve just showed up at a parade about 30 minutes before it started and had to stand in the back of the crowd.
Bring Cash: This may sound like a no-brainer but bring some cash for various reasons: Cotton candy, $5 pizzas, those light up things, a cab, $3 bottles of water, Snap pops, or even candy apples.
Know Where To Park: During Mardi Gras season, there are several parking restrictions and the police don’t play. Want to know what can ruin a fun evening of eating, parading, and drinking? Walking back to your car; only to find a ticket, a boot, or towed :(
Be Extremely Polite: If you can’t handle being around crowds. Just don’t go. Keep in mind that you’ll be around groups of people: kids, jerks, people that are rude, people that may steal your beads, people that may slide into your spot, etc. Think of it as defensive driving. If you are polite to other people, you can avoid a lot of unpleasant situations.
What Happens At Mardi Gras May Not Stay At Mardi Gras: You know the old saying “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”? Not in New Orleans…..feel like getting “wild and crazy”? Just remember these words: NOPD, cameras, video cameras, cell phone cameras, 24 lock up in detox, lost wallet/keys, & the Internet.
When it’s all said and done, use common sense, have fun with family and friends, and stay safe!
Each year I and my cousins Deshandalyn, Helen and Regine take in as many festivals as possible. We love the food, art, music and most importantly the people. Each year our festival attendance goals get more ambitious. This year we wanted to step it up a little. We decided to call ourselves “The Festival Crashers”; we are like a mix of tornado chasers meets Wedding Crashers. This year we plan to attend 30 festivals if not more, hopefully our super powers will kick in.
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