Mardi Gras is one of New Orleans’ most iconic festivals—lots of parades, music, and rainbow-colored ambiance. But what if you’d prefer to enjoy the party minus the crazy crowds on Bourbon Street? Well, there are many ways to have fun with the Mardi party in a less frenzied environment. What is Mardi Gras & Why are we Celebrating? Which is French for “Fat Tuesday,” is the culmination of Carnival season, which is a two-weeks-or-more celebration prior to Ash Wednesday (the beginning of Lent in Christianity). Formerly, it was a day of indulgence preceding the fast season.Now, New Orleans’s Mardi Gras is a cultural party—think parades, masked balls,