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Growing up in New Orleans, you become acutely aware of Mardi Gras being a season and not just a day. With about six weeks of parades, king cakes, costumes, marching bands, formal balls, house parties, street parties, and plenty of revelry, all culminating in a massive blowout of celebration on that final weekend, it’s easy to understand why Fat Tuesday is followed by the first day of Lent.   It's important to note however, that the city is not just about Mardi Gras. It's also an exceptional place to host a New Orleans bachelorette party and is the perfect destination for group travel with your besties. Taking it one step further, can you even fathom how magical a wedding in New Orleans would be?! Here to help you get it right for whatever you are planning, we’re taking a look at the best hotels, dining spots, and stopovers in the Big Easy. In the words of Al Johnson, “because it’s carnival time and everybody’s drinkin’ wine…”   Reporter: Alyssa Brown | Venue: Race + Religious 

You’ve all seen the coverage of Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street. Looks like a Halloween frat party, right? Well, the real life experience is actually quite different from what you’re probably picturing. Sure, you’ll want to wear a costume. Sure, you’ll probably consume a little more than your share of purple drinks. But in reality, Mardi Gras is a joyous celebration of culture, history, community, and family (yes, even kids!). And if you do it right, you’ll probably walk away from your time in New Orleans wanting to experience more of the local culture. Mardi Gras is the ultimate gathering.  Mardi Gras season started on Twelfth Night (January 6, 2016) and will continue through to Mardi Gras Day on February 9th this year. The real partying gets going with the Krewe du Vieux parade on January 23rd and parades will roll pretty much every Thursday-Sunday from that point on, with Mardi Gras weekend being the ultimate culmination of parades, house parties, costumes, and revelry. In this predominantly Catholic city, the idea is that we party hard, harder, and then hardest on Fat Tuesday before heading to church on Ash Wednesday to atone for our sins. For anyone planning a trip to New Orleans during any part of the Mardi Gras season, we’ve collected some of our favorite Nola destinations. Covering everything from where to stay, where to eat, where to shop, and where to throw a party, we’ve only hit the tip of the Nola iceberg (granted, levee might be a better analogy down here). So, grab your glittery dancing shoes and get packing!   Written by TVR Contributor: Alyssa Brown