This year, the most significant changes to the parading season are over the lineups and routes of several popular events.

The Mardi Gras season, also referred to as Carnival, begins 12 days after Christmas on Jan. 6 and lasts until Fat Tuesday.

As a New Orleans local, I’m familiar with (and occasionally guilty of ignoring) the number one rule of Mardi Gras: It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Carnival season in 2026 begins on 6 January and runs ...