A  blast of humidity is what you feel when you take your first steps off the plane ready to experience the festival Mardi Gras! This year, Mardi Gras Day is on March 5, 2019. One of the most common throws at pardes are beads. They are like necklaces, but a little different. Mardi Gras has three colors that all mean something different. Purple stands for justice, green stands for faith, and gold stands for power. A very helpful tip for conquering Mardi Gras is, download loading the app, Parade Tracker by WDSU News, to know what the parades are, when, and where they run. Another thing that you should know before you start reading is, when you are here you should grab a slice of king cake from any grocery store, but two really good places are Haydels and Randazzo's.

When you are in New Orleans, the weather can change quickly, so you need to pack many things. Some things that I would recommend from my personal experience are a rain jacket, sweatshirt, rain boots, old tennis shoes (because of mud), and clothes for weather that can be cool, hot, rainy, or cold. I hope this general idea of what to pack helps you when getting your clothes ready.

While writing this article, I decided to survey my classmates about what their favorite parades are. I got very mixed results which shows that all pardes are worth going to. Keep in mind I only surveyed a small handful of people. You should still try and go to all the parades. Here are why some of my classmates like certain parades. “I like muses because I love how they throw shoes because it is something different from most parades. Instead of just throwing beads, they throw shoes, which is really cool.” “I love Tucks because that Saturday is so much fun, and because you get to to hang out with friends.” “Nyx is my favorite parade because my mom was in that parade, and I go to it every year. It is very unique and different.” “I like Iris because I think that it is different than the other parades because it doesn't have one thing that makes it famous or special, like Muses or Nyx. I also like it because my dad and I have been going to it since I was little.” “I like Rex because I like to collect all of the beads from each float and try and get all of them.” “I like Endominon because it is right near my house, making it easy to get to, and we have have a party every year and it is a great parade to relax and have fun.” “My dad is in Zulu and this year I get to be in the parade. It's also very fun because my family gets to spend time together, and after we get to go to my aunts house.” “I like Thoth because it runs past my house, which is super convenient, and it has great throws.” “I love Hermes because my dad and my friends' dads ride in it. We have Mardi Gras parties when it's Hermes night and my family friends come to watch. It's a lot of fun.”

I hope this article helps when traveling to New Orleans for Mardi Gras! Mardi Gras is one of my favorite festivals, and I hope you will enjoy it too. I love each and every parade because they are so fun and unique. Enjoy this wonderful city, Laissez les bon temps rouler!