Although the date of Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday) falls between early February and early March each year, the Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans officially begin on Twelfth Night, January 6th.

During these weeks, the carnival season begins to heat up with an abundance of party events, balls and parades and non-stop nightlife from the Thursday before Mardi Gras.

The season culminates with the Orpheus parade and spectacular fireworks on the Monday, followed by two huge parades, Zulu and Rex, and a costume ball in the French Quarter on the day itself.

The Zulu parade leaves at dawn from the statue of Martin Luther King Junior on the corner of South Claiborne Avenue and Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard and at 10:00 am the Rex parade starts from the corner of South Claiborne Avenue and Napoleon Avenue.