Zulu float riders, one of whom is holding up a coconut in one hand and in the other, a strand of Mardi Gras beads strung with a gigantic gold ball
Reveler at parade barricade about to lift her jacket and shirt in a bead-seeking display of Mardi Gras immodesty.

Flashing for Beads

As flashing for beads has evolved into a Mardi Gras pastime, “Show your tits!” has become as much a part of the lexicon as “Throw…

Zulu float riders, one of whom is holding up a coconut in one hand and in the other, a strand of Mardi Gras beads strung with a gigantic gold ball

Throw Me Something Mister!

In the heat of the moment, the perceived value of the exotic bounty tossed from parade floats cannot be measured in dollars and cents. Because…

Throw-Catching Tips

Throw-Catching Tips

Increasing your chances of reaping a worthy share of the coveted spoils begins with recognizing that, while throws are sometimes tossed at random to parade…

His intoxicating tableaux testify 
to the potential of an indigenous resource--Mardi 
Gras beads--as an artistic medium.

John Lawson

What many people would regard as junk is, for New Orleans artist John Lawson, a “natural resource”—and a compelling artistic medium. A native of Birmingham,…

All things Mardi Gras in New Orleans