FRENCH QUARTER “Vieux Carre” (say: Voo Car-Ay) || TOP||

	Bargain for beads. Be a bead lawyer but beware of police uniforms when you're tempted to go beyond a chest flash.
	Use side streets to beat crowds in the French Quarter. However, if you're by yourself, walk where it is well lit and there are a lot of people. If you've been drinking stay in the popular parts of the French Quarter, be aware that neighborhoods can get dicey very quickly. Safe streets on any day are are Decatur, Royal, and Bourbon up to the 800 block.
	Cars are not allowed on the streets of the French Quarter unless you have a hotel pass
	Some of the many photographers around plan to post their fotos on the internet - be aware of that before indulging in any wild behavior
	This zone is for adults - not children. There's a lot of crude drunks here amidst the frenzy of crowd surges
	Reserve a Bourbon Street Balcony far in advance.
	Bourbon Street, which also has long been home to the peep show clubs, attracts a public peep show during other seasons as well - particularly spring break and halloween

	Finding a restroom, no matter how difficult, could be the difference between party time and jail time.
	Bring hand sanitizer or baby wipes with you. Porta potties and overwhelmed bathrooms are all too common. Business closes their facilities to everyone but paying customers, so remember to go before you go.

PARADES: || TOP||

	Getting a front row free parade seat for the top parades will mean arriving about 4 hours ahead of time! Bring blankets, picnic baskets and chairs, and enjoy the people watching. GOOD SPOTS for Downtown Parades The corner of Napoleon and St. Charles Avenues is a crowded but rousing place to be. The Garden District, particularly around Third and Fourth Streets, is exceptionally family-friendly.  Downtown from Jackson Avenue, near the Pontchartrain Hotel (2031 St. Charles Ave.), is a more crowded and energetic (sometimes rowdy) place to watch On Mardi Gras Day, costuming begins very early on St. Charles Avenue, and the street is fairly crowded by 8 AM. The famous street car Street is perfect for watching the parades, including the famous Rex parade about 10:30 am How to survive Mardi Gras by fodors.com
	Dress in costume, especially on Mardi Gras Tuesday! Participate in a costume contest and be part of the show.
	Ladders are a good way to assure your kids will have a good view and stay safely in tow, but don't put them up too close to the front where jostling is an issue.
	You can also enjoy special packages put together by businesses along the parade route offering food and a front row spot for the passing parade...
	Uptown is the family zone. Most activity is focused around the parades; outside parade hours, the streets revert to relative normalcy. The crowds along the Uptown portion of the parade routes are thinner and more docile than those Downtown.
	Remember part of the experience is becoming part of the action by getting into capturing all the treasure being thrown.

THROWS & BEADS:  || TOP||

	Maximizing treasure: Yell at the float riders "Throw me something, Mister!" Hold up a sign, for lack of something more clever say where you're from. Carry a sack and collect the lesser beads behind the main crowd.
	Use the foot technique for safely claiming a throw on the ground. This is standard technique so assume your fingers are at grave risk if you go for the quick fingered scoop.
	You may be asked to flash something for a special bauble, but parades are considered a family zone and you risk arrest.

LADDERS & BORDERS || TOP||

• Do not fasten ladders together in groups. 
• Don't place ladders in intersections or closer to the curb than the height of the ladder. 
• Do not erect fences around public property. 

POLICE & SAFETY || TOP||

• Do NOT get arrested (for any reason) during Mardi Gras. The courts are closed during Mardi Gras and getting out will cost $200!
• Do not challenge the barricades over baubles. However, getting to the other side may be worth it if there's an occurring precedent.
• If an officer tells you to do something...cooperate! They may have no patience left for your opinion.
• The drinking age is 21, and it is enforced - which can make use of  the plastic cup even more meaningful.

  "Mardi Gras is a tradition going back almost 150 years in New Orleans.  Our citizens, as well as most of our police officers, grew up going to Mardi Gras parades.  That's what makes Mardi Gras in New Orleans unique and is the reason that while often imitated in other cities it's never been duplicated anywhere else.  Our citizens know what to expect and what is allowed in having a great time." NOPDonline.com   Search New Orleans Police Site for Mardi Gras update

  What will get me picked up by the police? "Pissing anywhere but porta-potties or restrooms. Climbing up balcony posts. Touching a policeman's horse. Flashing if you're told not to (female) and flashing your lower extremities if you're male. Stealing. Fighting. Not obeying a policeman's orders. Crossing the barricades on the parade route anytime they are up.

FINALE: || TOP||

The City of New Orleans takes the end of festivities at midnight on Tuesday very seriously. We believe one of the most underappreciated rituals of Mardi Gras is its sharp ending in the French Quarter with the shout of "MARDI GRAS IS OVER. GO HOME." It is very impressive how clean the City will look before and
AFTERWARDS: Consider partaking in Ash Wednesday by attending a service and beginning 40 days and 7 Sundays of abstinence, penance and reflection until Easter. Ash-Wednesday', from Collected Poems 1909-1962 by TS Eliot

Plan your own Mardi Gras Party by masksandmakebelieve.com
main ingredients are good friends, good music, good fun. Throw in Mardi Gras beads, doubloons, Mardi Gras masks and decorations, a king cake, fried chicken and jambalaya and you're all set.