Mardi Gras live updates: See scenes from Fat Tuesday revelry across New Orleans

Everywhere else, it’s just Tuesday. 

But in New Orleans, Mardi Gras day is a sacred time when the city celebrates the climax (and unfortunate end) to the Carnival season. 

There’s no shortage of events of things to do on Fat Tuesday: beloved parades, costume parties, early-morning New Orleans traditions, general debauchery on Bourbon Street — the list goes on. 

We’ll update this story with photos and commentary throughout the day. Here are some early highlights.

Black Hatchet marching club in Lower Ninth Ward

The Black Hatchet marching club in the Lower Ninth Ward.

By MIKE SMITH | Staff writer

The Black Hatchet marching club in the Lower Ninth Ward.

By MIKE SMITH | Staff writer  Fat Tuesday kicks off with Northside Skull and Bones gang

This group of skeletons emerged onto the streets of the Treme neighborhood at 5 a.m. to pound on doors and make a racket. The goal? To make sure nobody oversleeps on Mardi Gras morning.

This is a tradition steeped in New Orleans history that began two centuries ago and was reborn in 2003. 

The skeletons rise up from 1925 Bayou Road. 

See the photo gallery from this morning’s walk here. 

Crowds follow the Original Northside Skull and Bone Gang as they wake up the Treme neighborhood on Mardi Gras morning 2024.

By SOPHIA GERMER | Staff photographer

The Original Northside Skull and Bone Gang wakes up the Treme neighborhood on Mardi Gras morning 2024.

By SOPHIA GERMER | Staff photographer Crowds gather early to catch Zulu parade 

It’s a chilly Fat Tuesday morning with temperatures starting in the 40s, but that didn’t stop families from lining up early across the parade route to see Zulu, which began to roll at 8 a.m.

Tammy Pringthe, second from left, lined up near Harmony Circle with family on the parade route. Her twins and nephew are bundled up with binkies ready to go for Zulu, she said.

By GABRIELLA KILLETT | Staff writer Honoring Pete Fountain’s legacy

Benny Harrell, Pete Fountain’s son-in-law, celebrates his legacy with Pete Fountain’s Half Fast Marching Club.

“This was him. He wanted to be in the streets with the people, and we’re going to carry on his tradition.”

Benny Harrell, right, is Pete Fountain’s son-in-law and is marching on Fat Tuesday 2024.

By GABRIELLA KILLETT | Staff writer Black Masking Indians, a New Orleans tradition

These small “tribes” or “gangs” of Mardi Gras Indians emerge across many neighborhoods Tuesday morning in pursuit of other Indians. The tradition symbolizes the connection of Black and Native American cultures in the city.

Zulu, Rex parade schedule 

If you want to catch a coveted Zulu coconut or watch the Rex parade, you can find the schedule, maps and Nola.com Parade Cam here. 

Wear your coolest costume to St. Anne 

Societe de Sainte Anne is one of the most spectacular walking groups in the city, and the revelry starts early.

To behold the spectacle, stake out a place on Royal Street at Franklin Avenue or Kerlerec Street and follow the crowd into the Vieux Carre. To distinguish St. Anne from other marching groups, look for glinting standards made from hula hoops strung with fluttering ribbons.

Neil Patrick Harris rules over Lundi Gras 

The celebrity was a monarch for the Orpheus parade Monday night. Check out the photos here.

See photos, video from New Orleans Mardi Gras parades