It's Carnival Time!

It’s Carnival time! That’s right – today is the day that Carnival season kicks off, which means parades, King Cakes, and a whole lot of celebration.

To kick off the season, there will be two parades rolling through New Orleans tonight:

First up is the Joan of Arc parade in the French Quarter. Joan of Arc is somewhat of a symbol in this city. Need proof?  Look no further than then the golden statue in her image near the French Market. And not only is it the beginning of Carnival season, it’s also Joan of Arc’s birthday.

At 6 p.m. an entire parade in her name will start at Toulouse and Decatur Streets, travel down Decatur to Conti Street, up Conti to Chartres, continue on Chartres past Cathedral to Ursuline, down Ursuline to Peters, and ends at Washington Artillery Park street amphitheater across from Jackson Square. Many of the costumes and throws will be homemade, so don’t miss out.

At 7 p.m., we’ll turn our attention to what’s going on in Uptown – the Phunny Phorty Phellows parade. Instead of a traditional parade with floats, this group will roll down Carrolton and St. Charles Ave. in a streetcar.

The first day of Carnival signals the first day of King Cake season.  There are a lot of good King Cakes in the New Orleans area, but we recommend ordering from Cannata’s King Cakes and Caluda's King Cake. Both have a lot of variety and are local!

We’ll keep everyone updated on what’s happening in New Orleans as Carnival season gets underway and Mardi Gras creeps closer. Be sure to check out our Facebook page for all the latest photos and more.