Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) in New Orleans, Louisiana, is one of the most famous Carnival celebrations and probably one of the biggest parties in the world. The New Orleans Carnival season, with roots in preparing for the start of the Christian season of Lent, starts on Epiphany (holiday) or Twelfth Night (January 6). It is a season of parades, balls (some of them masquerade balls), and king cake parties. It has traditionally been part of the winter social season; at one time "coming out" parties for young women at débutante balls were timed for this season. 

To New Orleanians, "Mardi Gras" refers to the whole Carnival season; visitors tend to refer to Fat Tuesday as "Mardi Gras". Some locals have thus started to refer to the last two days of Carnival as Lundi Gras (Fat Monday) and Fat Tuesday to avoid confusion.

Celebrations begin early on Mardi Gras Day, which can fall on any Tuesday between February 3 and March 9 (depending on the year). Uptown, the Zulu parade rolls first, followed by the Rex parade, which both end on Canal Street. A number of smaller parading organizations with "truck floats" follow the Rex parade.
The formal end of Mardi Gras arrives with "the Meeting of the Courts", a term describing the ceremony at which Rex and His Royal Consort, the King and Queen of Carnival, meet with the King and Queen of the Mistick Krewe of Comus, New Orleans' oldest active Carnival organization. The Meeting of the Courts happens at the conclusion of the two groups' masked balls, which in modern times have both been held at New Orleans' Municipal Auditorium. In 2006, following Hurricane Katrina, the Final Ball was held in the Marriott Hotel.
Promptly at the stroke of midnight at the end of Fat Tuesday, a mounted squad of New Orleans police officers make a show of clearing upper Bourbon Street where the bulk of out-of-town revelers congregate, announcing that Mardi Gras is over, as it is the start of Lent, commencing with Ash Wednesday.The formal end of Mardi Gras arrives with "the Meeting of the Courts", a term describing the ceremony at which Rex and His Royal Consort, the King and Queen of Carnival, meet with the King and Queen of the Mistick Krewe of Comus, New Orleans' oldest active Carnival organization. The Meeting of the Courts happens at the conclusion of the two groups' masked balls, which in modern times have both been held at New Orleans' Municipal Auditorium.
Despite the recent headline making debauchery associated with New Orleans, Mardi Gras has typically been a family event. There are plenty of parades away from the Bourbon Street adult fare and are excellent places to take children to catch candy beads and watch the exciting floats go by. It is extremely crowded, so if you take your family to Mardi Gras, make sure you make plans to have a meeting place in case anyone gets separated from the group. You can also dress up in costume with the entire family to view the fun!