Gay mardi gras new orleans 2025

Happy New Year!  It is 2025 and there is so much happening to kick off this year in NOLA from 12th night and the start of Mardi Gras season to some of the first lgbtq+ Carnival balls.  Here are just some of the hot events in December from drag shows to parades, so let us get this year started right. If you wish for your event listed, deliver me an email at ledgemgp@gmail.com. 

Weekly Events

Monday:

*  NOAGE New Orleans Walking Group; Mondays at 4:00PM Audubon Park; 6500 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA. NOAGE’s weekly walking group meets on Mondays at 4:00 PM. They meet by the Magazine Street entrance to the park. Please consult with your central care physician before starting any new fitness regimen, especially if you are not used to regular exercise. 

*  Betsy Propane’s Smoke Show; The Allways Lounge & Cabaret; 2240 St. Claude Ave.; 8 – 9:30  p.m.  Betsy Propane & The Accessories are a Jazz Trio fronted by a female lead singer, who dabbles in the Ancient Art of Bump & Grind, and wants to share those forceful pipes through song & performance. Cover $20

• Mon

  24th Annual Gay Easter Parade

  This event has passed.

  24th Annual Gay Easter Parade

  April 20 @ 4:30 pm - 7:00 pm

  |Free

  2025 Parade Route

  The Gay Easter Parade started in 2000 in Brand-new Orleans as a joy way to showcase the fashion and creativity of the entire LGBT group “with ladies in gowns or summer suits with Easter Hats and gentlemen in summer suits or tuxedos.” It’s meant to be a fun cultural event the whole family can attend regardless of whether or not you identify as LGBT.

  
  
  

  LGBTQ Mardi Gras

  The New Orleans LGBTQ community embraces Mardi Gras traditions with costumes, krewes, and more

  While the first official gay Carnival krewe, the Krewe of Yuga, was formed in the late 1950s, “Gay Mardi Gras” had been going on underground way before then. As a spoof of traditional Mardi Gras krewes, the Yuga ball featured a glittering presentation of royalty, including a Queen, King, Captain, debutantes and maids. Though no longer active, Yuga gave birth to other gay Carnival krewes, including the Krewe of Petronius and the Krewe of Amon-Ra, both of which are still active.

  While on the surface Mardi Gras appears to be no more than a party, many say Gay Mardi Gras helped usher in the Gay Rights Movement in the United States. Today it remains an important symbol of identity festival for the community and its allies.

  Mardi Gras Balls

  Mardi Gras balls are an extremely important part of LGBTQ Mardi Gras celebrations. They are typically themed and feature dazzling handmade costumes and presentations of krewe royalty. Here are some of the best-known male lover Carnival balls. Check the krewes’ websites for details on how to participate.

  Armeinius

  Typicall
  
  

  What is a Mardi Gras Indian?Where are the top places for families to enjoy the fun?Are there still hotel rooms available?Which krewes have the optimal throws?What are the chances of catching a Zulu coconut?

  You'll find the answers to all these questions and more right here at MardiGrasNewOrleans.com - your catch-all for everything Carnival. Don your purple, green and gold and join us in Fresh Orleans this March for "The Greatest Free Demonstrate on Earth."

  Mardi Gras 2026 is Tuesday, February 17. We're counting down the minutes.

  Mardi Gras Packages 

  Check out these packages offering an up-front view of passing parades, along with that delicious New Orleans food (not to mention bathroom privileges)!

  What's New

  Experience Mardi Gras in the Summertime!

  July 1, 2025

  If you come to Fresh Orleans during Carnival season, you can take your pick of 70+ parades. If you come in the summer, you can still experience the wonder of Mardi Gras at several museums around the city, including the one inside the Presbytère, right next to St. Louis Cathedral on Jackson Square&hell

  .