Parade-goers catch a throw during the Krewe of Cleopatra parade on the Uptown parade route in New Orleans, Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. The all-women krewe paraded to the 2023 theme, ÒJeweled Jubilee.Ó (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
- STAFF PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER
The Magical Krewe of MadHatters rolls along the traditional parade route in Metairie, Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023. (Staff Photo by David Grunfeld, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
- STAFF PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD
Rapper Juvenile, known best for the 1998 bounce anthem 'Back that Azz Up' has been honored with his own float in the 2024 Freret parade
- (Photo by Doug MacCash NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
The Legion of MARS parade plans to pull the pin on hand grenade Mardi Gras throws.
2 min to read
Doug MacCash
Finally, it’s the first big weekend of Carnival parades across the New Orleans area. In just a few hours, the air will swell with the blare of bands, the clatter of beads, and the cheers of the crowd as floats approach.
Let’s call this the David Bowie weekend, because there’s been lots of cha-cha-cha-changes caused by impending rain and unfortunate parade cancellations.
Besides the weather, the big news this weekend is that the Carrollton parade will be celebrating its first century of parading, Freret debuts a float dedicated to the rapper Juvenile, riders in the Legion of MARS parade plan to toss toy hand grenades (not the kind you drink), and Barbie goes to the dogs, with the Barkus parade theme “Pawsitively Pink.”
Can't make it to the parades? Watch them from wherever you are on the NOLA.com Parade Cam.
Here comes your most up to date parade calendar.
Friday (Feb. 2)
Oshun
THE TIME HAS CHANGED -- Friday, Feb. 2, 5:30 p.m., St. Charles Ave route
Cleopatra
THE TIME HAS CHANGED -- Friday, Feb. 2, 6 p.m., St. Charles Avenue route
ALLA
THE TIME HAS CHANGED -- Friday, Feb. 2, following Cleopatra at approximately 6:30 p.m., St. Charles Avenue route
Saturday (Feb. 3)
Pontchartrain
THE TIME HAS CHANGED -- Saturday, Feb. 3, 9:30 a.m., St. Charles Avenue route
MARS
THE TIME HAS CHANGED -- Saturday, Feb. 3, 10:30 a.m. or earlier, St. Charles Avenue route
Choctaw
THE TIME HAS CHANGED -- Saturday, Feb. 3, 11:30 a.m. or earlier, St. Charles Avenue route
Freret
THE TIME HAS CHANGED -- Saturday, Feb. 3, 12:30 p.m. or earlier, St. Charles Avenue route
Spartan Society
THE TIME HAS CHANGED -- Saturday, Feb. 3, 1 p.m., floats only, St. Charles Avenue route
Sunday (Feb. 4)
Pygmalion
THE DAY AND TIME HAS CHANGED -- Sunday, Feb. 4, 10 a.m., St. Charles Avenue route, starting at Napoleon and St. Charles Avenue
Femme Fatale
Sunday, Feb. 4, 11 a.m., St. Charles Avenue route
Carrollton
Sunday, Feb. 4, 12:30 p.m., St. Charles Avenue route
King Arthur
Sunday, Feb. 4, 1:30 p.m., St. Charles Avenue route
Barkus dog parade
Sunday, Feb. 4, 2 p.m., French Quarter
Friday (Feb. 2)
EVE -- Mandeville
Friday, Feb. 2, 7 p.m.
Excalibur -- Metairie
Friday, Feb. 2, 7 p.m., Veterans Memorial Boulevard route, westbound
Saturday (Feb. 3)
Nemesis -- Chalmette
Saturday, Feb. 3, 1 p.m., Judge Perez Drive route
Olympia – Covington
THE TIME HAS CHANGED -- Saturday, Feb. 3, 4 p.m.
Sunday, (Feb. 4)
Dionysus -- Slidell
Sunday, Feb. 4, 1 p.m.
Atlas -- Metairie
Sunday, Feb. 4, 2 p.m., Veterans Memorial Boulevard route, westbound
MadHatters -- Metairie
THE DAY AND TIME HAS CHANGED -- Sunday Feb. 4, after Atlas, Veterans Memorial Boulevard route, westbound
Caerus -- Metairie
CANCELLED -- Sunday, Feb. 4, 4:30 p.m., Veterans Memorial Boulevard route, westbound
Mardi Gras 2024 in New Orleans: a preview of all parades, with dates and maps
The 2024 New Orleans Carnival season starts on Saturday, Jan. 6, and concludes onMardi Gras, Tuesday Feb. 13.
Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com. Follow him on Instagram atdougmaccash, on Twitter atDoug MacCashand on Facebook atDouglas James MacCash.
More information
Oshun, Cleopatra, Alla parades will roll early Friday, New Orleans officials say
The first big night of Mardi Gras float parades will come a little earlier this year thanks to a nasty rainstorm predicted to hit New Orleans …
Oshun, Cleopatra and Alla: Schedule, maps, parade cam and more for Friday parades
Chewbacchus, Krewe du Vieux and more have already marched through the streets of New Orleans this Carnival season, but parading kicks it up a …
Doug MacCash
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