Seafood shopping is quite easy in the general sense. Rule of thumb: if it smells fishy, don't buy. Fresh seafood should smell mild and more like the ocean and sea water rather than fish.
Mardi Gras 2016 falls on Tuesday, February 9. Visitors, please note: Parades will begin in January. Check our Parade Schedule section for specifics. The most popular time to visit New Orleans is the extended weekend before Mardi Gras (February 5- 9). Come then and you'll be sure to catch the most popular parades, like Endymion, Bacchus, Zulu, Rex and all of the festive celebrations throughout the whole city. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the last day of the Carnival season as it always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Most visitors will plan to arrive no later than Saturday, February 6, 2016 in order to enjoy an extended weekend of festivities.
The weekend before Fat Tuesday is the prime time to visit New Orleans for Mardi Gras. This is the weekend when Bacchus and Endymion, two of the biggest parades of the season, roll down the streets of New Orleans. The streets are packed all day Saturday and Sunday with parade watchers. If you can stay longer than a weekend, Monday (Lundi Gras) and Fat Tuesday are also great days to experience Mardi Gras.