My idea of Mardi Gras weekend in New Orleans was what most people think of when they picture this debaucherous weekend – topless ladies everywhere, trashy people fighting for beads and obnoxious drunkenness, to name a few. There is truth, of course, to those descriptions, but after going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras last spring I have an appreciation for it and a different idea of what it’s all about. One of my friends is from Nola and many of my friends had been to this celebration before and raved about how fun it was, so I was determined it was something I needed to experience and I thought, what better time than my senior year of college?
Well, I was right and the weekend turned out to be one of the most fun weekends in my college years (and not just because of the obvious reasons). Not only was it completely different than what I had pictured, but I had not been to New Orleans since Katrina, so I was really glad to travel there. First of all, I consider my biggest key to the success of the weekend being I stayed at a local’s home. A big group of my friends and I stayed at our New Orleans- native friend’s house, so we had the luxury of getting wined and dined by her parents, but more importantly, we were in the know of how to do Mardi Gras the right way.
We avoided any of the terribly dirty parades, didn’t even frequent Bourbon Street and enjoyed the best parts of the city, while having an unbelievable time! Whether or not you have a friend who is from or lives in the city, you can talk to people who have been before and find out the best way to tackle Mardi Gras. It was amazing to see the pride of the people in the city and how that was reflected through the festivities. And to clarify, you do not have to flash for beads! The men throw them freely and in fact, the parades that we went to were very kid-friendly and children worked to gather the most beads.
Visiting the city of New Orleans is a must if you haven’t been there before, but making the trip to celebrate Mardi Gras there is a must as well!
144 Things to Do...According to the Millennials 
I was born in New Orleans and have attended Mardi Gras several times. I agree that it is something to experience! People think that 6th Street is different, but there is nothing quite like Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras.