When is Mardi Gras?

When does Mardi Gras start? Good question.  The Mardi Gras schedule for 2011 is listed below.

Mardi Gras marks the close of a season which officially starts on the Epiphany (Three kings Day) and ends on the eve of Ash Wednesday. Carnivals (lavish parades and parties operated by Krewes) start as much as 2 weeks prior to the actual Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday). Mardi Gras reaches its finale late Tuesday Night and then New Orleans goes quiet as the season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. In fact, it is the only night when New Orleans’ round the clock nightlife shuts down and the French Quarter is cleared. The official close of Mardi Gras is Midnight and the New Orleans Police will clear the streets.

For travelers from out of town, the prime Mardi Gras party period really gets into high gear the Friday before Fat Tuesday and continues non-stop through Tuesday night. For newbies to Mardi Gras, one of the best parades is the Zulu Krewe. Decked out in African garb and elaborate floats, not only are beads and doubloons generously and amply thrown out to the masses, but if you're lucky you might catch a coconut head, rubber spear or other neat trinket. Also, most people don't realize most parades occur in Uptown New Orleans with post parade partying occurring in the FRench Quarter and other locales throughout New Orleans.

Finding hotel lodging for Mardi Gras is a real challenge. If you are thinking of taking a trip to Mardi Gras, you might want to consider a Mardi Gras lodging by finding a New Orleans Hotel outside of the French Quarter. A particularly nice area is New Orleans’ Garden District which is close to the French Quarter is relatively safe.  

Cick here to search for New Orleans Hotels.

Click here for more information of Mardi Gras events from the New Orleans Visitor's Bureau

MARDI GRAS SCHEDULE 2011

Information courtsey of the NOCVB. Time and information could change for unforseen circumstances.

Mardi Gras - Sunday, February 20, 2011
Krewe	Location (unless New Orleans is stated it is another city)	Time
Little Rascals	Metairie	12:00 PM
Perseus	Slidell	1:00 PM

Mardi Gras -Friday, February 25, 2011
Krewe	Location	Time
Oshun	Uptown New Orleans	6:00 PM
Cleopatra	Westbank	6:30 PM
Eve	Mandeville	7:00 PM
Excalibur	Metairie	7:00 PM
Atlas	Metairie	7:30 PM

Mardi Gras -Saturday, February 26, 2011
Krewe	Location	Time
Choctaw	Westbank	11:00 AM
Adonis	Westbank	11:45 AM
Pontchartrain	Uptown New Orleans	2:00 PM
Nemesis	St. Bernard	4:00 PM
Caesar	Metairie	6:00 PM
Olympia	Covington	6:00 PM
Sparta	Uptown New Orleans	6:00 PM
Titans	Slidell	6:30 PM
Pygmalion	Uptown New Orleans	6:45 PM

Sunday, February 27, 2011
Krewe	Location	Time
Alla	West Bank	12:00 PM
Carrollton	Uptown New Orleans	12:00 PM
Dionysus	Slidell	1:00 PM
King Arthur	Uptown New Orleans	1:15 PM
Rhea	Metairie	2:00 PM
Thor	Metairie	3:00 PM

Mardi Gras -Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Krewe	Location	Time
Druids	Uptown	6:30 PM

Mardi Gras -Thursday, March 3, 2011
Krewe	Location	Time
Babylon	Uptown New Orleans	5:45 PM
Chaos	Uptown New Orleans	6:30 PM
Muses	Uptown New Orleans	6:30 PM

Mardi Gras Weekend Starts - (Friday through Tuesday Night)

Mardi Gras -Friday, March 4, 2011
Krewe	Location	Time
Hermes	Uptown New Orleans	6:00 PM
D’Etat	Uptown New Orleans	6:30 PM
Selene	Slidell	6:30 PM
Orpheus Mandeville	Mandeville	7:00 PM
Lyra
Morpheus Excellent	Uptown New Orleans	7:00 PM
Centurions	Metairie	7:00 PM

Mardi Gras -Saturday, March 5, 2011
Krewe	Location	Time
NMTOC	Westbank	10:45 AM
Iris	Uptown New Orleans	11: 00 AM
Tucks	Uptown New Orleans	12:00 PM
Endymion - Excellent	Mid-City	4:15 PM
Isis	Metairie	6:30 PM

Mardi Gras -Sunday, March 6, 2011
Krewe	Location	Time
Okeanos	Uptown New Orleans	11:00 AM
Mid-City	Uptown New Orleans	11:45 AM
Thoth	Uptown New Orleans	12:00 PM
Bacchus - * Excellent	Uptown New Orleans	5:15 PM
Napoleon	Metairie	5:30 PM

Monday, March 7, 2011
Krewe	Location	Time
Proteus	Uptown New Orleans	5:15 PM
Orpheus	Uptown New Orleans	6:00 PM
Zeus	Metairie	6:30 PM

Mardi Gras  - March 8, 2011
Krewe	Location	Time
Zulu *Excellent	Uptown New Orleans	8:00 AM
Rex * Excellent	Uptown New Orleans	10:00 AM
Elks Orleanians	Uptown New Orleans	follows Rex
Crescent City * Excellent	Uptown New Orleans	follows Rex
Argus	Metairie	10:00 AM
Krewe of Jefferson	Metairie	follows Argus
Elks Jeffersonians	Metairie	follows Argus
Grela	Westbank - Gretna	11:00 AM