Mardi Gras is one of those things everyone says they want to do once. It's a heckuva party for sure. It's just one day -- Fat Tuesday, the Tuesday before Lent starts. But Carnival is the period of weeks leading up to Mardi Gras and I always preferred the parades leading up to Mardi Gras more. Key to a successful Mardi Gras is a base of operation where you have access to a bathroom, because there is a lot of beer involved. I luckily happened to be dating someone for several years who worked in an office building downtown. So we did the parades quite close to the French Quarter. Since they started down in the Garden District, you can imagine how drunk some of the people on the floats were. I particularly recall Dom Delouise, as King of Bacchus, tied to his float pole, swaying madly. After just one parade, you have 5 pounds of beads around your neck and another 10 stuffed in pockets and all the while you're thinking, "Seriously, just stop catching them! You don't need them!" And then a float approaches and you're a crazy person yelling, "Throw me something Mister!" anyway. You just get possessed. I still have a collection of beads in the basement though I have not been to a Mardi Gras in years. I've used them for various things and given them away to kids, but you have to retain some in case you get invited to a Mardi Gras (or New Orleans Saints) party after all.
The success of Mardi Gras from year to year is determined by the amount of garbage New Orleans sanitation picks up after the parades. "Picks up" as in off-the-street, not from garbage cans. This is not a flip-flop kind of beach party. No, Mardi Gras is a time for closed toe shoes. If you go, you will see some amazing things / amazing people. It's every bit the side show of raucous behavior, much not suitable for young eyes. So if you want a great party, go to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. And if you want to see more of the city as she really is, go for JazzFest -- my own personal favorite time to be there. Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler! (Let the good times roll!)