Mardi Gras Celebration Guide – How to Party…

If Flutter FETTI® had to choose one holiday, it would be Mardi Gras.  As a company originally based in New Orleans, Mardi Gras was like having our birthday party, anniversary celebration, and company picnic all rolled into one.  It was, and still is, the biggest bash of the year in our minds and one of America’s greatest celebrations!

We know how to celebrate Mardi Gras because it’s in our blood… er, our confetti… and it’s what we do best.  To help you make the most of your experience, here is a quick guide from the experts at Flutter FETTI to help you party…:

… Like a Tourist

Whether it’s your first time, or you fifth, being a tourist during Mardi Gras means mingling with the masses.  Ground zero for fun is in the French Quarter where you’ll find plenty of established watering holes.  While you can spend your days wandering the streets with an open container (as long as it’s not glass), consider ducking into a Bourbon Street bar like The Old Absinthe House with its copper-topped wooden bar or the Gold Mine Saloon for a classic NOLA dive experience.  Step it up a notch during the night by heading to a club like Bourbon Heat whose 50-foot balcony overlooks the endless crowds on the street.

Of course, the best place to party is from your hotel balcony overlooking the street.  You get to be part of the party without actually being in it.  The Royal Sonesta and the Four Points by Sheraton French Quarter hotels both have quality rooms and exactly the type of balcony you’re looking for.  Stock up on tasty booze, plastic beads, and 14” Flutter FETTI Confetti Sticks or 18” Airless Confetti Launchers filled with either tissue Flutter FETTI or tissue streamers, and get ready to entertain the crowd from dusk until dawn!

… Like a Local

While some locals dive headfirst into the Bourbon Street mayhem, the rest know that there are better spots to hang out.  Most locals focus their energy on watching the annual parades – the centerpieces of the action.  If you thought there was just one krewe, or parade organization, think again.  There are over a dozen krewes each with their own parades which they host throughout the days and weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday.  Some of the most fun ones go through the French Quarter, like the Barkus Parade where owners dress up themselves and their dogs, often in hysterical matching outfits!

The ultimate parade viewing experience is along St. Charles Avenue where floats venture from Uptown to Canal Street.  Grab a drink at the historic Columns Hotel and watch the parade pass by from the beautiful veranda.  If you want to start early (and you should), then head over to Avenue Pub on St. Charles Ave. for a wicked Bloody Mary or wait in line to get into Jacques Imo’s Café on Oak Street for a taste of their alligator, sausage, and shrimp cheesecake.  Yummy!

If you really want to blend in with the local crowd, dress up in the colorful, flamboyant costumes that scream Mardi Gras!  Guys and gals spend all year figuring out how to outdo each other in their extravagant elegant regalia.  Go early in the morning before the hangover crowd wakes up and bring your camera to capture the craziness – otherwise your friends back home will never believe you!

Of course, Mardi Gras is more than just the sights and the flavors.  It’s about the sounds too and music is the heart and soul of New Orleans!  The parade might have its own music, but the clubs like Tipitina’s, Maple Leaf Bar, and Snug Harbor keep it rocking all night long. These clubs are why folks live in and love New Orleans!

… Like a Rockstar

Speaking of rocking all night long, the real rockstars of Mardi Gras are the krewes who run the floats and parades.  The luckiest of the krewe participants are the ones who actually ride on the floats and entertain the on-lookers.  Their intricate vehicles are plastered with purple, gold and green (the colors of Mardi Gras) and most are refurbished year after year to coordinate with the year’s theme.  Riding on these floats is an honor and one must be invited by the krewe… or pay a handsome price.

If you get the opportunity or scrounge up the cash, don’t pass it up.  To rile up an already revved-up crowd is as easy as blowing kisses and dancing up a storm.  Throwing beads is fun too, but to get the wildest reaction, floats shoot off rounds of Flutter FETTI.  With the Continuous Flow Confetti Gerb Launchers, you can completely douse the crowd in colorful confetti and watch them go absolutely wild with excitement!   You’ll not just look like a rockstar, you’ll feel like one too!

… Like Us

We like to think of ourselves as Mardi Gras veterans; we’ve not only celebrated the occasion dozens of times, but we technically participate in the event every time someone uses our amazing confetti products!  Whether you’re a tourist, a local, or part of the parade krewe, we think that every experience during the event is a good one.  As long as you party with the people you love – your friends, your family, and the complete strangers who always make Mardi Gras such a wonderful time – then you’re embracing the spirit of the holiday and partying just like us!

Our mission at Flutter FETTI is to bring excitement and joy into every special event in your life.  Contact one of our confettiologists and we’ll make the right product recommendation to add the “WOW!” effect to your Mardi Gras celebration.