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Mardi Gras 2011: Don’t Try This at Home
Doesn't matter which city you celebrate it, Mardi Gras really isn't for kids
There’s a reason why many New Orleans residents’ vacation plans coincide with Mardi Gras. It’s for the same reason the Fort Lauderdale locals head to the hills when Spring Break comes to town.
For sure, the Big Easy might be a place to sow your wild oats during the build-up to Fat Tuesday, which explains why it’s not the most family-friendly place to be.
If you think New Year’s Eve is amateur hour, multiply that by 100,000 and — faster than you can say “laissez les bon temps roulez” — you have Mardi Gras.
As revered as Mardi Gras is by locals of the Crescent City, it’s also a gumbo of drunks, buffoons and rapscallions spilling their beers, showing their breasts, and begging for beads.
Not that I exactly speak from experience. When I was a college student, I was mildly enticed by the thought of going south to New Orleans. For some reason I never did, but my husband, who hails from Louisiana, has often told me something like this: “I wouldn’t have wanted my children around me or any of my friends during Mardi Gras. I doubt any parent would, for that matter.”
While everybody loves a parade, if you do insist taking your children to Mardi Gras, it’s probably best during the earlier parades. But as the build-up to Fat Tuesday crescendos in earnest this weekend, the little ones might be best left behind, letting the good times roll in the company of their Dora dolls and Lincoln Logs.
Would you take your kid to a Mardi Gras celebration?
Image: Wikipedia
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6 Comments
feefifoto commented on Mar 05 11 at 4:53 pmHaving attended college and graduate school in New Orleans I can confidently say NO, I’d NEVER bring a kid to Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Bead Bait commented on Mar 05 11 at 10:53 pmHaving lived in NOLA for 10+ years and experiencing Mardi Gras both before and after kids, I can say that YES I will definitely be bringing my 4 & 5 year olds to the “Mardi Gras celebrations” again this year.
They have attended since being born, which for my oldest was the 1st Mardi Gras after Katrina. The “Mardi Gras Celebrations” you must be writing about really only take place in the French Quarter, which is not part of the parade routes at all – all the Parades travel Uptown, and let me tell you, there is nothing sweeter than a little guy or gal yelling “Throw Me Somethin’ Mister” and then receiving their fair share (or more than fair share) of loot.
The “Mardi Gras Celebrations” I attend are definitely family-friendly and consist of families hanging out at the parades barbecuing and sharing good times & eats while enjoying the most beautiful parades in the country. Everyone is in a great mood and NO ONE is nude or showing something to get beads — we all get plenty of beads just for being there.
I will not be taking my children to Bourbon Street, which is where the rest of America (i.e. the frat boys) go to celebrate Mardi Gras. I will be headed to the uptown parades – even on Mardi Gras Day – to enjoy the day with my tots and my fellow New Orleanians. Feel free to join us if you can — but don’t expect the nudity and drunken bawdiness this article speaks of…
Lee commented on Mar 06 11 at 11:10 amThe original Mardi Gras carnivale celebrated in Mobile, AL is a very family friendly experience all the way around although it has been overshadowed by the notorious bawdiness of NOLA. I have to agree with Bead Bait that during Mardi Gras and the rest of the year if you stear clear of the French Quarter (except for a little du Monde and Jackson Square in the morning) Mardi Gras and the city is a great family destination.
GoodChildren commented on Mar 08 11 at 6:07 pmHaving just returned home from a great day of parades with my three and five year old girls, I am disheartened to read this post. Mardi Gras in New Orleans in a wonderful family tradition. Kids get special treatment along the parade routes and get the best goods. If you are thinking about coming down next year, do what any experienced traveler does, stick with the locals and you’ll have a great time.
Meredith Carroll commented on Mar 08 11 at 10:28 pm@Goodchildren — Sounds like a good time. Maybe we’ll make it down there one of these years.
Mardi Gras Mom commented on Mar 09 11 at 2:33 pmAs a New Orleans resident and mother of a 22-month-old Mardi Gras veteran (and another in utero) I cannot disagree with your post enough — especially since as you point out, you have never even been to Mardi Gras. 99% of the behavior you describe comes from tourists who descend upon the French Quarter which is only one tiny slice of Mardi Gras. Locals and those who understand Mardi Gras traditions know that Mardi Gras is one of the biggest family events around with multiple generations lined up together on parade routes celebrating with neighbors and friends. Sure Mardi Gras is great fun for college kids and rabbleroozers – but the magical side is seen through the wonderment and sparkle of kid’s eyes at the sight of marching bands, beautiful meticulously decorated floats and masked riders throwing treasured goodies to them as they pass by. I do hope that you and your children have the pleasure of enjoying this spectacle one day!
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