Carnival Celebrations to draw 750,000 (insanely crazy) visitors

by Chris Owen on

The ultimate escape, Rio’s Carnival is open with celebrations expected to draw over 750,000 visitors, both foreign and Brazilian spending over $500 million.

“As the king of the party, I declare the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro is officially open,” this year’s king Milton Rodrigues said. “Long live Rio, and long live Carnival!”

It’s a spectacle unlike any other where the normal world is turned upside down, rules go out the window and anything goes. For five days the city will be covered in confetti and music with dancing and music parades the order of the day.

While much of Carnival is about being someone else for a while as men dress like women and poor people dress like kings, some attending the event want to stay just who they are.Celebrities expected to attend include Pamela Anderson, added to the VIP party guest list just last wee along with Cameron Diaz, Demi Moore and Nicole Kidman. They will be looking for space in the coveted VIP boxes that overlook all the action along with Jude Law, Leonardo DiCaprio and more.

Off to a less than smooth start when 15 revelers were electrocuted and killed by a fallen power line, Carnival celebrations and festivities are in full swing now with highlights of this year’s festival to include appearances on parade floats by Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen, who will pose as Venus de Milo, and local singing legend Roberto Carlos.

Flickr photo by snappybex

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5 tips for actually enjoying Mardi Gras

by Elizabeth Seward on

While New Orleans seems to celebrate Mardi Gras all year round, it is at this time of the year–the weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday (in French: Mardi Gras) and the beginning of Lent–that the city earns its hard partying reputation.

It happens every year. And all kinds of people take the time to lose track of time in this city of soul and spook. Fascinated by the stories and legends of Mardi Gras and its raucous joy, I visited New Orleans in February 2009 and 2010 and I absorbed all that I could of Carnival culture.

My initial distaste for Mardi Gras had been a product of misleading media stories and drunken lore. Without much interest in forcing myself into remembering the only year of college I spent on campus, I eschewed the city’s famous annual ongoing party, genuinely disinterested in what I thought it was. But a friend I made while touring through Alabama, a true Southern Belle with a killer taste for rock ‘n’ roll, tempted me with attractive tales of Mardi Gras–an event she made sure to attend every year she could.

Through her I learned that Mardi Gras isn’t all breast-flashing belligerence and so-forced-it’s-sickening salaciousness. Through her I learned that Mardi Gras is celebrated all over the city, by different people with different backgrounds and different views on How to Party Hard. And when she decided to move to New Orleans a few months before the weeks of Mardi Gras 2009, I ignored my doubts, bought a plane ticket, and tried out Mardi Gras with a local as my guide.
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Admittedly, she was new to living in the city, but her relatives there were hardened New Orleans veterans who quickly passed on their torch of insight.

“Girlfriend, first of all, you gotta stay away from Bourbon Street“, she instructed me.

She’d learned the ins and outs of Mardi Gras enjoyment during the years prior, the years she spent making the 2-3 hour commute from Mobile in order to do it up with her family and friends in the city. I was privileged enough to do it up with them.

And, as I blearily boarded my departure plane that sunny Wednesday following my first real Fat Tuesday, I wasn’t looking forward to arriving back home in it’s-still-winter New York. I wanted to stay forever in warm, colorful, indulgent New Orleans.

I went back the following February and I’m making plans to return again in a few weeks. But my returning is for the sake of the Mardi Gras I know. Here are five tips for actually enjoying Mardi Gras–without all of its famous obnoxiousness.

1. Move beyond Bourbon Street.
I’m not going to advise you to ignore Bourbon Street completely. Like Times Square, this tourist destination has its place. You’ll find some good bars on Bourbon Street–hell, one of my lady friends tends bar at Molly’s on Toulouse. But by and large, you’ll experience the Mardi Gras I fell in love with outside of Bourbon Street. Spend some time in the East Quarter, for instance. Everyone there is also celebrating, costumed, and singin’ and dancin’, but you’ll find more locals in the East Quarter than on Bourbon Street. Tip: Look for a sublet or rental in this neighborhood with the help of Airbnb. If you have your own spot to call home in a good area where you can actually get some sleep when you need it, your entire experience will be better.

2. Perfect your costume.
There’s a true art to assembling the perfect Mardi Gras costume. Be creative and spend time getting your costume just right. Part of the Mardi Gras allure is the bold and beautiful color displayed emphatically by those reveling and relishing in the season. Tip: Masks and feathers are tried and true standards, but anything goes. When in doubt, wear a blonde wig and no pants for a quick-fix Lady Gaga. You might get thrown some beads with this get-up, but here’s another tip: don’t take off your clothes for beads. Firstly… because they’re just beads. Secondly because people are probably going to throw them to you no matter what.

3. Drink responsibly.
I say this not to reiterate the words of your nagging, oppressive mother, but rather because Mardi Gras is an experience worth remembering. Instead of joining in on the parade of puking drunks stinking up the streets, be mindful of how much you drink and take home some memories you’ll have for the rest of your life. By all means, drink. Drink and be merry–but leave it at that. Solicitous strangers might come to your rescue if you need to be scooped up off the street and sent home in a taxi, but don’t count on it. Tip: It’s a good idea to carry water with you at all times. It’s just not a good idea to mix cheap tequila, 600-calorie pina coladas, box wine, and all that fried food with dehydration.

4. Hang with locals.
You might not know any local New Orleans residents when you arrive, but making small talk is easy in a town as lively as this one. Chat up locals and pick their brains for recommendations of where to spend your time. Their spots will most likely trump tourist spots. (Not every time). And hey, if you’re lucky you might make some friends. I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer a good ol’ fashioned Mardi Gras house party over frat boys doing body shots at a bar with a $10 cover any night. Tip: Don’t be shy. Diffidence won’t yield for you the trip of a lifetime and besides, most people can respect a traveler who wants to avoid tourist traps.

5. Eat well.
When I say ‘eat well’ during a story about New Orleans, I mean two things: 1. Eat delicious Cajun food and savor every last bit of it. 2. Counteract the rich meals with simple, wholesome foods every chance you get. Believe me, New Orleans’ citywide buffet of fried food is worth digging your paws into. But if you don’t balance all of this heavy stuff out with some healthy options here and there, you’ll be sabotaging the quality of your vacation. Tip: You’ll probably be out for large chunks of time every time you’re out, so throw an apple, granola bar, or any other simple and healthy snack in your bag to make healthy eating automatic.

Have your own tips that will help Mardi Gras attendees enjoy the festival? Share and discuss with us in the comments.

New Orleans Band Better Than Ezra Welcomes us to Mardi Gras

by Gadling Staff on

Ever thought about going to Mardi Gras, only to quickly reconsider? Daunted by the idea of drunken crowds and inadvertently turning up on an episode of Cops? Well New Orleans-based rock band Better Than Ezra is inviting newbies and veterans alike to a Mardi Gras experience that promises much more than the balcony-hanging, bead-throwing debauchery one might expect.

The event is called Krewe of Rocckus – a play on the name of the legendary Krewe of Bacchus – and offers visitors a weekend chock-full of New Orleans food, drink, and music, all seeped in Mardi Gras tradition.

Better Than Ezra bassist Tom Drummond took some time to introduce us to the Krewe:

Gadling: So you’ve just finished up the Road to Mardi Gras tour, and in early March you’ll kick off the Krewe of Rocckus. We have to admit, Mardi Gras is a bit new to us…

TD:…you see, this is exactly who we are trying to reach! Through our travels we’ve seen that there are a lot of people – probably like yourself – who considered going to Mardi Gras in the past, but were kind of on the bubble and just never committed. I think it is definitely something that everyone should do, at least once in their life. A lot of people think it’s like, “Oh, I did that in high school, or college,” well it’s really not. Sure, there’s a lot of that going on, but it’s also a great time to come to New Orleans and have a great time, get some good food, and hang out with a lot of people. It’s just a lot of fun.

Gadling: Ok, but what exactly is a krewe?

TD: Well a krewe is basically a group of individuals who have organized themselves to put on the Mardi Gras parades, and then typically those same krewes have balls that either follow the event or the night before. Most of the older parades are krewes. Those are social groups, and typically you have to be invited into those groups. I’m involved in one, we have a ball every year, it’s actually a secret society you’re not supposed to know you’re in. We have to wear a mask when we parade on the floats. They have video cameras set up along the routes to know whether or not everybody wore their masks.

Gadling: And this is the first year for the Krewe of Rocckus?

TD: Yeah, you know the band has played Mardi Gras every year for twenty something years. We’ve had the idea for a while, and we finally decided to commit and get on with it. We have a lot of people who fly in from out of town for these shows, because these shows are very unique for Better Than Ezra, because the atmosphere is so great. There’s a lot of debauchery going on, you just get a different take on the band from one of these shows.

Gadling: So the Krewe of Rocckus is born of your Mardi Gras shows, and now you’ve built it into an event.

TD: That’s exactly right. You get a hotel – you get three nights at the Hilton Riverside – we’ve planned everything to be within walking distance, which is one of the great things about New Orleans, that if you stay downtown, you’re within walking distance of the French Quarter, the Warehouse District, and just about anything you want to do. Not a lot of cities are set up that way, which is why it’s great to have big events here.

We did a few of these Rock Boat cruises, where you go, hang out on the boat for three or four days, and all you do is see bands the whole time you’re there. Well that kind of gave us the inspiration – how can we use the city if New Orleans as a giant ship, imagine it as a giant Rock Boat. So we have all the venues, all the restaurants, all the bars, everything that we’re going to send people to, all within walking distance during Mardi Gras.

We’re trying to offer things that you can’t just walk up and get when you come to Mardi Gras. It’s going to start off with a very unique event, which is brunch with award-winning chef John Besh, who owns a number of restaurants in town. We’ve got private viewing stands for the Friday night parades, all you can eat and drink, we’ve got a very large private balcony on Bourbon Street.

You obviously get the two Better Than Ezra shows Friday and Saturday night, and then Friday night we have Pat Greene performing, who’s a big country artist from Texas. We’ve got Big Sam’s Funky Nation, who was also on the Road to Mardi Gras tour, he’s playing with us on Saturday night. And at each party and event, we have local bands playing as well. You’re definitely going to get your music fix out of this trip for sure. Which I think is one of the biggest attractions in New Orleans.

Gadling: Is the band actively participating in the whole weekend?

TD: Oh yeah, we’ll be at every event. We’ll literally be holding your hand, walking you from one event to the next. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

Gadling: What’s this about a Bloody Mary contest?

TD: Yeah, apparently I’m involved in it! Everybody that comes down is going to be the beneficiaries of free Bloody Marys that morning. It’s going to be me and some other celebrities, and everyone is going to taste them and decide who’s the best.

There are a lot of those little things we have planned. On Friday we’re going to meet at one, and we’re going to second line with the Mardi Gras Indians to a restaurant called Michaul’s where we have a private viewing stand on Saint Charles Avenue. We’re going to literally walk 400 people through the Warehouse District to the viewing stands, with the Mardi Gras Indians, and a brass band leading the way.

We got Krewe of Rocckus beads made, really nice big beads, the kind you want to hang onto after Mardi Gras. We also have a poster that the artist Jamie Hayes has designed for us. He’s a really well known New Orleans artist.

We think it’s going to be a really great event – it seems like no brainer, really – to have the biggest band from New Orleans walk you through Mardi Gras. This will be fun!

Gadling: Speaking as a New Orleans native, what would you recommend first-time visitors to do, aside from Mardi Gras?

TD: I think one of the great things about New Orleans is the food. There are so many great restaurants here, so many great places to have a great time, even if Mardi Gras weren’t going on.

Gadling: Oh? Are you a fan of crayfish?

TD: What, crawfish?

Gadling: Ok, I’m from the north.

TD: Yeah, they’re awesome here.

Gadling: And you suck the heads?

TD: Of course! You have to!

You can sign up for Krewe of Rocckus here. Note that the all-inclusive package is only available until February 4. After that, the locals-only package will remain available without hotel reservation. Hotels may still be available, but the prices will have increased after February 4.

Universal Orlando announces Mardi Gras concert lineup

by Leigh Caldwell on

Thirty Seconds to Mars, Ne-Yo and Blake Shelton are among the headliners just announced for Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras this spring.

The 2011 Mardi Gras celebration happens on weekend nights Feb. 12 through April 23 at the Universal Studios Florida theme park in Orlando, Florida.

Here’s the concert lineup:

  • Feb. 12: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
  • Feb. 19: The B-52s
  • Feb. 20: KC & The Sunshine Band
  • Feb. 26: Pitbull
  • March 5: Lynyrd Skynyrd
  • March 12: Foreigner
  • March 18: Neon Trees
  • March 19: Thirty Seconds to Mars
  • March 25: OneRepublic
  • March 26: Blake Shelton
  • April 1: Sean Kingston
  • April 2: Ne-Yo
  • April 9: Lifehouse
  • April 16: The Beach Boys

Universal’s Mardi Gras also includes a nightly parade with floats designed by Blaine Kern Artists in New Orleans, and, of course, lots and lots of beads.

A “French Quarter” street party serves up cajun food and musicians playing blues, jazz and zydeco.

Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras is included with regular theme park admission to Universal Studios Florida – no separate ticket is required for the concerts.

Photo of the day (9.2.10)

by Meg Nesterov on

Each year around American Labor Day, the elaborate costumes and street partying associated with pre-Lenten Mardi Gras or Carnival celebrations are taken outside in several cities too cold to parade in February. Brooklyn’s West Indian Day Parade is one of the largest in the world, drawing several million spectators, with a population of local West Indian residents to rival that of the Caribbean. This photo by Flickr user Luke Robinson taken at West London’s Notting Hill Carnival in England (the largest street festival in Europe) captures a father and son who look like they’ve enjoyed the revelry but might be ready to call it a day. With 20 miles of parading, music, and food to cover, it’s no wonder the little boy looks a bit tuckered out. I just hope that’s not a vuvuzela he’s carrying. Other Caribbean Carnival events take place throughout the US, Canada, and UK this fall.

Take any great festival photos? Upload them to our Flickr pool and we just might choose one for another Photo of the Day.