5 Family-Friendly Things to Do in New Orleans for Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras in New Orleans has a reputation for being one of the biggest must-attend parties in the world. While there’s no shortage of R-rated revelry, there’s plenty of good clean fun for the whole family at Mardi Gras! The Mardi Gras season begins January 6 and continues through the day before Ash Wednesday (Fat Tuesday).These 5 family-friendly things to do in New Orleans for Mardi Gras are PG-rated (parental guidance is of course a must) and offer festive fun times throughout the season.
- Parades– Mardi Gras parades are held on weekends and the Friday before all through Mardi Gras day. Large float parades that are the symbol of Mardi Gras are often in uptown or mid-city and are a magical experience for kids and adults alike with imaginative float themes and costumes. The crowd styles vary at different areas of the city (i.e. the French Quarter is an adult party scene), but the vast majority of parades are for spectators of all ages. Parades are experienced from the sidewalk, neutral ground, or a parking lot, and ladder seats are recommended to make sure the kiddos catch plenty of “throws” (beads, cups, etc.). Costumes are encouraged for everyone at Mardi Gras, so parades are a chance for everyone to be a kid: dress up, marvel at the otherworldly floats, decorate yourself in beads, and yell at the top of your lungs, “Throw me something mister!”
- Eat King Cake– Cake, icing, sugar- king cakes are all things kids love. A standard king cake is a large cinnamon sweet bread ring covered in a white glaze and Mardi Gras colored sugar (green, purple, and gold). But king cakes come topped and stuffed in an array of colors and flavors from cream cheese to strawberry to praline. A great family activity throughout your trip is to try as many different king cakes as you can!
- Tour Mardi Gras World– See where the magical floats of Mardi Gras are made at Mardi Gras World! Kids will love seeing all the larger than life props, designs, and costumes from Mardi Gras past. Learn the history and watch the artistry unfold with a peek behind the scenes at the work that makes Mardi Gras mystique come to life!
- Take a Swamp Tour– Take a detour from the events of the city and connect with nature on a New Orleans swamp tour. Learn about and encounter local wildlife like alligators and nutria rats. Photograph the iconic cypress knees and Louisiana swamp scenes. Experience the thrill of an airboat that travels over land and water at high speeds. There’s something for everyone in the family to love on a swamp tour!
- Zipline– Zip through Louisiana swamp on a thrilling zipline excursion! ZipNola has 5 ziplines, 2 sky bridges, a spiral cypress tree staircase, a 2000ft elevated spectator platform, and animal interactions. Let the thrill-seekers check the world’s first fully aquatic swamp zipline off their bucket list while the milder family members can encounter local creatures and take in the spectacular views. ZipNola is a one-of-a-kind excursion for your Mardi Gras vacation.
Each member of the family can have their king cake and eat it too with these family-friendly things to do at Mardi Gras!