IT’S CARINVAL SEASON Y’ALL!!!
By Karen Brem, Marketing Director, Historic Mardi Gras Inn
People love to say,
“I’m coming for Mardi Gras weekend!”
Which sounds responsible…
until you realize a Mardi Gras “weekend” in New Orleans is not actually a weekend.
It’s a four-day endurance sport disguised as a holiday. 🏃♀️💃🍹
🏁 A Mardi Gras Weekend Starts Thursday Night (Surprise!)
Here’s the truth locals know:
Mardi Gras weekend doesn’t begin on Friday.
It begins Thursday night with parades and partying.
And it doesn’t end Saturday.
It goes strong through Sunday night.
That means:
• Thursday = warm-up parade 🍻
• Friday = confidence parade 😎
• Saturday = full chaos parade 🎉
• Sunday = heroic commitment parade 🏆
This is not a sprint.
This is a marathon in sequins and bad footwear. ✨👠
Trying to squeeze Mardi Gras into one or two nights is like running a triathlon and skipping the swim.
Technically you showed up…
but spiritually, you failed. 😌
🎭 Weekend Mardi Gras = Big Energy, Big Crowds
Weekend Mardi Gras is:
• louder 🔊
• busier 🚶♂️🚶♀️
• more costumed 🦚
• more chaotic 🎭
• more unforgettable 🥂
You’ll see:
• parade-to-party pipelines 🛻➡️🍸
• costumes evolving by the hour 👗➡️🦄
• strangers becoming your emotional support group 🫂
• beads migrating into your hair and soul 📿
• cocktails turning into life coaches 🍹
It’s glorious.
It’s exhausting.
It’s absolutely not meant to be rushed.
😌 Weekday Mardi Gras = Sneaky Good (Don’t Tell Everyone)
Now let’s talk about the underdog:
weekday Mardi Gras. 👀
Weekdays bring:
• fewer crowds 🙌
• shorter bar lines 🍺
• easier walking 🚶♀️
• more room to dance 💃
• and more actual interaction with the city 🎷
Think:
• more wandering 🧭
• more people-watching 👀
• more accidental adventures 🤷♀️
• less elbowing strangers in the ribs 🫢
Same sparkle.
Lower volume setting. 🔉
🧠 Smart Travelers Mix Both (Yes, You’re Smart)
The real pros don’t choose just one.
They do:
• weekend chaos 🎉
• weekday wandering 🌈
They pace themselves.
They schedule costume changes strategically.
They hydrate occasionally 💧
They eat actual food (sometimes) 🍕
And they stop pretending Mardi Gras is “just a weekend.”
Growth. 🌱
🛎️ Book Like You’re Running a Marathon
If Mardi Gras runs Thursday through Sunday…
your stay should too.
Four nights means:
• no rushing between parades 🏃♀️
• no panic over transportation 🚗❌
• easier costume changes 👗
• better recovery breaks 🛏️
• more flexibility 🧘
• and fewer regret-based decisions
It means you experience Mardi Gras the way New Orleans intended:
slow, loud, joyful, and slightly unhinged. 😈🎭
📍 Location = Everything
Being near the French Quarter and close to streetcar lines means:
• less time commuting 🚋
• more time wandering 🥂
• quicker pit stops 🚻
• easier late-night returns 🌙
• and fewer logistical meltdowns
Which matters a LOT when you’ve been partying since Thursday. 😏
🎉 Choose Your Chaos Wisely
Weekend Mardi Gras is bold.
Weekday Mardi Gras is sneaky.
Together?
They are unstoppable. 💥
The only real mistake?
Trying to do it all in 48 hours like it’s a speed date. 💔
📍 Historic Mardi Gras Inn
🌐 www.HistoricMardiGrasInn.com
📞 504.949.5815
📞 1.800.209.9408
Whether you’re here for the crowds, the costumes, or the cocktails…
give yourself the time to do Mardi Gras right. 🎭🍾
Because in New Orleans…
even the weekends need a running start. 🏁💜