New Orleans Celebrates fat tuesday as Carnival Ends, Celebrity Arrest Briefly Interrupts Revelry
Thousands packed St. Charles Avenue and the French Quarter on Tuesday, Feb. 17 (ET), as Mardi Gras — fat tuesday — marked the climax of Carnival season. Revelers in green, gold and purple traded restraint for sequins, beads and elaborate costumes in one last day of feasting and music before Ash Wednesday.
Parades, throws and glittered costumes fill the streets
Fans began staking out spots at sunrise, hauling chairs, coolers and ladders to secure prime views. Floats rolled down the avenue with marching bands and performers, met by shouts of “Throw me something, Mister” from balcony railings and street-level crowds. Signature throws flew from every float: strands of plastic beads, cups, candy, small toys and metallic doubloons. A hand-decorated coconut from the Zulu parade remained one of the most coveted prizes, drawing wild cheers when a lucky person caught one and waved it above the crowd.
Costumes ranged from dazzling store-bought ensembles to highly crafted homemade outfits. Some participants channeled classic Mardi Gras traditions like beaded and feathered Black masking Indian regalia; others favored inventive looks that reflected the city’s irreverent spirit. Marchers and onlookers danced in the streets, while many swapped morning coffee for more festive concoctions better suited to the day’s indulgent mood.
Tradition extends across Louisiana and beyond
While New Orleans staged the most prominent parades, the Carnival spirit stretched across the state and the Gulf Coast. From private balls to rural Courir de Mardi Gras gatherings, communities observed the day with locally rooted customs. In Central Louisiana, costumed participants ran the Fat Tuesday Run, soliciting ingredients and chasing live chickens for a communal gumbo — a centuries-old Cajun rite of revelry and resourcefulness.
Smaller cities and towns kept their own variations alive: pancake flips in international rivalries, family-focused parades and neighborhood street parties. The season’s end is observed around the world in different ways, but the central idea remains the same: a last day of abundance before the 40-day Lenten period of fasting and reflection begins with Ash Wednesday.
A disruption amid the revelry
Amid the day’s festivities a widely circulated video captured an on-street arrest involving a high-profile actor. The incident drew immediate attention from those gathered and prompted a temporary shift in the crowd’s energy as law enforcement moved in. The scene was brief relative to the full schedule of parades and events, and celebrations largely resumed afterward.
For longtime residents and returning visitors alike, Fat Tuesday remains a ritual of escape and community. One attendee, decked in Egyptian-inspired white with electric blue eye makeup, framed the mood simply: “The world will be here tomorrow, but today is a day off and a time to party. ” Many said the city’s magnetic atmosphere is why they keep coming back year after year.
As evening fell and the last floats passed, revelers tucked away beads and keepsakes and turned their thoughts toward the quieter days ahead. For now, though, the final hours of Carnival were a reminder of why Mardi Gras endures: a shared moment for music, color and unabashed celebration before Lent begins.
