Hi! This year’s Mardi Gras was a success! We had a great time, got to see most of our friends, didn’t have any major costume mishaps, AND we were home in time to make dinner. Such an ideal day.

There are really two schools of thought in New Orleans regarding Mardi Gras Day. On one end, you’ve got folks who view Mardi Gras Day as the end of the race. They’ve spent the weekend doing parades, hauling food and ice chests and staying up late. They maybe went too hard and are ready for it to be over, and view Mardi Gras Day as a day to take it easy and maybe even rest before returning to work. It’s understandable. On the other end, you’ve got folks who view Mardi Gras Day as a marathon all it’s own, as the best day of the season. It’s not about drinking the most or being raucous, but getting to spend time in the streets in the middle of the week with all of your best friends in a costume you’ve spent hours (or days, or months) working on, celebrating the city and community and life.

We tend to fall into the second category, and really like to save our energy for Mardi Gras Day.

As always, we got out of bed at around 6:30 in the morning to have our coffee, finish tiny last minute costume details, and make our way to a friend’s house in the Marigny neighborhood. After a little breakfast with friends (thanks for hosting, Kelly!), it’s time to catch Krewe of St. Anne, which is a funky little marching parade that has the best, most excessive looks. It’s a parade that everyone is kind of a part of. There’s not really a dividing line between observer and reveler, and most people march along with it, stop for drinks and chit chat with neighbors and friends before joining back in. Sometimes if you get behind a push cart with really good music you’ll be less inclined to stop at all.

Eventually, we got deposited in the French Quarter for a few hours with more friends, some cheese fries, and bathrooms breaks, before retreating back to the Marigny and eventually back home. I was cupid, Matt was a thunderstorm, and there’s photographic evidence of it all below :)

If you’re planning to make your own trip down to New Orleans, check out our New Orleans guide for recommendations for where to stay, what to eat, what to do, queer stuff, and more.

Mardi Gras Day 2020