I was on the Orpheus Krewe last year, and here’s what I discovered about where to stand to get the best throws, when you should get there, and how to navigate the entire Shebang!
Plus, I discovered some balcony parties that you can buy a ticket to and attend if you want to stand out from the bead-throwing crowd in the French Quarter.
Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday, falls on February 17, 2026 this year and is the last day of Carnival before Lent begins on Wednesday.
Yes, Mardi Gras is all about the Easter calendar, and in New Orleans they celebrate the founding of Lent like no other place on earth!
Carnival parades will take place five days in advance, culminating in the final event on Tuesday. During the five days leading up to Shrove Tuesday, one or two large processions take place each day.
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Last year, I dressed up like an Oompa Loompa and stood on a float throwing beads, stuffed animals, plastic cups, and various tattoos to the crowds on the side of the road. No, no one is showing off their breasts. In fact, it’s perfect for families. That’s because we’re not even close to Bourbon Street!
This is something I’ve never experienced before. For me and all of us, it was a full twelve hours of being part of the parade and I loved every minute. You can see my photo in this post.
I was with the Orpheus krewe (crew!) and we had about 25 individual floats in the parade, each with blaring music and each with its own bag. There are also restrooms on each float! Not what I’ve used. I was just dehydrated.
Some parades are extremely popular and real fans know where to stand, when to scream to get the attention of the throwers, how to catch them and how to take home the loot.
There are thousands of people on the parade route, so if you’re like me and it’s your first time attending a parade, this post will help you make sense of it – get stuck in!
Things to know before going to Carnival
First of all, the parade didn’t actually go through the French Quarter. The streets are too narrow, but since the area is closed to traffic, you can stroll along the streets and catch pitches from the balconies above during Carnival. Early in the morning, there are no cars parked on the narrow streets, making it a perfect time to take photos.
Road closures are in place around and through the French Quarter. We were staying on Canal Street and the taxi from the airport found a way to get us as close as possible and we walked about two blocks with our luggage and crossed the cordon when security let us through.
Therefore, do not assume that you will be able to take any type of transportation to and from the parade. Especially if you plan to cross Canal Street into the French Quarter.
If you do need a ride, you need to get off the main road and call an Uber and they will be able to go around the wide perimeter and get you as close as possible from the other direction. This is organized chaos!
Security at 2025 is extremely tight because of the horrific violence that occurred just a few months ago on New Year’s Eve. I hope you find the same thing this year.
Where to stand to throw carnival loot!
You can even attend by purchasing a ticket to one of the balcony parties. Check Bourbon Street balcony for rent Tickets are available to stand on their balcony if you wish and there is a bar and buffet.
Or purchase tickets to one of the following balcony parties:
Mambos Balcony Located at 411 Bourbon Street.
Carnival Balcony Experience February 14, at the Old Absinthe House.
Shorty Glass and Trombone Shorty Freret and Krewe made their appearance at Mardi Gras World on February 7th.
MAC carnival krewe ball At the Pontchartrain Center
Best throwing locations along the parade route
We pulled out of the Mardi Gras Museum building around 6pm, but then waited for almost an hour as the floats in front of us began their slow, pedestrian parade. We were told not to start throwing until we turned onto St. Charles from Napoleon Street.
They usually all follow the same route (with one day changing depending on weather conditions). The floats start rolling up Tchoupitoulas, turn right onto Napoleon Street, then turn right along St. Charles Road past some beautiful homes in the Garden District toward downtown, then turn right onto Canal Street toward the river, and finally turn right off the canal and along to the Convention Center.
You’ll find plenty of people with sun loungers, trolleys and suitcases to take all their loot home with, ready hours in advance.
And don’t worry about not being in the front row. The float was two stories high and I never threw anything at anyone standing in front of it. I can’t see them!
What to carry with you
If you plan on spending an afternoon/evening, you may want some portable chairs and a loot bag. If you want to see the entire Crewe River rolling by, bring water and some snacks and plan to stay there for a few hours.
If you have kids, bring some games for them to play on the closed street while you wait for things to start. There are vendors selling souvenirs and light-up baubles to keep the kids entertained.
You’ll also see some nice ladder chairs that were probably originally built by some enterprising grandpa, and now you can purchase them to give all the kids a seat high enough to watch the game and maybe throw in a throw or two.
Since the hurling doesn’t begin – at least in earnest – until the parade reaches St. Charles, I’d say go to the top of St. Charles, near Napoleon. The best stuff tends to come first, although we do keep a few special things to keep things going.
Canal Street was in chaos, I knew this from watching other parades and what was going on on the boats. A whole bunch of plastic cups were blown out – about 10 of them, I might add, hit my arm at that point.
Any remaining throws up to this point aren’t the best. But if you’re looking for colorful plastic beads, you can find them on carts.
As the float left the canal and made its way to the convention center, a black-tie dinner and party was underway, and the only trash we left behind were beads. Millions of beads.
I also want to say that if you don’t catch the flying necklace and it falls to the ground, it will break. Sanitation crews come every night to clean the streets to start over tomorrow, so there are so many broken beads and plastic trash.
Tips for catching a thrown ball
Bring internet access. I’m not kidding. One of the most entrepreneurial things I saw from the top of the float was a man holding a large net and a sign for us throwers to aim at. Genius, because we hit the mark!
Make eye contact with the thrower. This way you have a good chance that they will project directly for you. And then it’s really nice to give a thumbs up or say thank you with your mouth. It’s so exhausting throwing this stuff around for hours!
Don’t let the beads fall to the ground. If you do, they will usually break.
Oh, scream all you want, but don’t expect Cruise to hear you. As we arranged, my husband was standing on the corner of Napoleon and St. Charles streets, and I was about to throw something at him. But I can’t find him. However he could see me and shouted loudly and the people around him joined him. Megan and the others screamed. I heard nothing. To be fair, I could barely hear my hurling partner next to me as I stood in front of a loudspeaker blasting the sound of our batting.
Where to Stay During Carnival
Ideally, you should rent a house in St. Charles. This would be my number one recommendation. I met a couple of women who had driven up from Ohio with a group of friends. They were right on the parade route and they had beach chairs to go back inside to use the bathroom and refresh their snowman mugs. Be prepared to pay silly money, though.
we live in Sheraton Hotel Was on Canal Street (Garden District side) and purchased a VIP pass which meant we had access to their front observation deck. This is a good idea if you don’t want to wait hours for the best views and don’t mind catching a lot of loot.
Click here for Sheraton hotel rates >
Otherwise, I would live in the French Quarter, but not on the hustle and bustle of Bourbon Street. You’ll spend most of your time there, eating, shopping, playing catch, and taking photos of the stunning features of this area of Nowla, especially without a car.
I’ve picked it out Seven Quality Hotels in the French Quarter In this article, I have stayed or browsed.
Read more of my New Orleans posts
My next visit to the Crescent City will be my tenth time. Here are a few other articles I’ve written and keep updating to help you find some interesting things to do out there.
My ultimate guide to things to do and see in New Orleans
How to have a great Christmas in New Orleans
My 4 favorite music venues/bars in New Orleans
How to spend a day in New Orleans – If this is all you have!