New Orleans Mardi Gras Parades & Mardi Gras Krewes

New Orleans Mardi Gras celebrations draw hundreds of thousands of Mardi Gras tourists to the city in addition to the Mardi Gras celebrating locals for the Mardi Gras parties and Mardi Gras parades. Most Mardi Gras tourists can be found within the French Quarter of New Orleans, especially Bourbon Street. Mardi Gras came to New Orleans with the French settlers at the start of the 18th century.

New Orleans developed new Mardi Gras traditions, including Carnival organizations called Krewes, which decorate gaily colored Mardi Gras floats, "Mardi Gras Truck parades" of huge, decorated trucks often have more than 100 entries. Other Mardi Gras parades are held by "walking clubs," consisting of maskers promenading to the blare of the city's famous jazz bands.

There are also elaborate masked, tableau balls held by most of the parading Mardi Gras Krewes and other Mardi Gras organizations which limit their activities only to balls. Usually invitation-only affairs, many of the Mardi Gras balls feature the presentation of the city's debutantes.