Mardi Gras Shopping Blitz

Mardi Gras Shopping Blitz

New Orleans during Mardi Gras may seem chaotic, but it's actually very organized, and those locals who participate are focused on capturing their favorite prizes thrown from floats and showing off their city to visitors. Orient yourself by attending some evening parades before you jump into the all-day celebration on Fat Tuesday, and you'll soon find you can catch beads and other trinkets like a pro. Next, you'll want to find a suitable costume and mask to fully immerse yourself in the experience. You can assemble a costume easily if you keep your eyes open at such places as the Community Flea Market in the back part of the French Quarter. Then walk over to Royal Street for makeup, wigs, and costume jewelry at Fifi Mahony's before you continue on down Royal Street to the Artist's Market, where you'll find an assortment of masks you'll want to keep long after Mardi Gras has faded into Lent. For a one-stop costume experience, travel to Magazine Street and Funky Monkey, where you can find handmade costumes, stockings, wigs, and accessories in one place, or the Encore Shop, where you can choose from affordable ball gowns, suits, and more. The important thing to remember about Mardi Gras is that it is meant to be fun for all ages. So dress the part, enjoy the sardonic humor of Carnival krewes' floats, and have a ball.