I rode in a float during Mardi Gras in New Orleans — here's what it was like

New Orleans is a city that knows how to have fun and at no time is this more evident than on Mardi Gras, the close of Carnival season and the biggest celebration before the 40 days of fasting for Lent. 

The city’s French and Catholic roots make this an important cultural celebration and, in the spirit of the excess that comes before a long period of abstinence and restraint, one of the biggest city parties in the United States. 

Related: This is what it's like to take a 19-hour train from New York to Chicago

One of the most beloved and recognized Mardi Gras traditions are the parades that roll through the streets of New Orleans for two weeks in advance of the big day. Each parade is run by a Krewe — the unique spelling is a local term for a social organization that puts on a given parade. Some of the oldest running Krewes are more than a hundred years old, while being part of one is no easy task as it is a major mark of prestige for which one needs to either be nominated or voted in by existing members.

Here is what Mardi Gras in New Orleans is really like

As a journalist, I got the opportunity to ride on a float belonging to the Krewe of Orpheus. Inspired by the famed musician from Greek mythology, this Krewe was launched in 1993 and is a New Orleans staple parade for families. While some of the parades get raunchier than others, the constancy comes through the elaborate and colorful floats that ride through downtown New Orleans as people of all ages gather to watch and catch the beads, toys and other swag that the riders throw to the crowds. (This is a tradition that dates back to the French Renaissance in which kings would throw beads and gems of little value while parading for their subjects.)

For those riding on a float (you get to do this by either being part of a Krewe, getting invited as a one-time guest or buying into the experience starting at $2,500), you show up at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center six hours before the parade to get your costume (Orpheus riders wear pants in bright colors and white tops with stripes of colored glitter meant to resemble snowflakes). This was the perfect opportunity to photograph the impressive sight of all the floats together in a single space. Opened in 1985, the convention center went through multiple renovations but was always designed specifically to accommodate the tall structures atop each float. While large flowers, snowflakes and mystical creature heads are common Orpheus themes, each float is a work of art that thousands of very skilled people work on in preparation for Mardi Gras every year.

More Travel:

• A new travel term is taking over the internet (and reaching airlines and hotels)
• The 10 best airline stocks to buy now
• Airlines see a new kind of traveler at the front of the plane

Loading onto the float was incredibly easy and while, “What if I have to go to the bathroom?” was a common worry among those doing this for the first time, the rookies among us immediately discovered that each float is also designed to withstand many of the challenges that can occur on a four-hour ride through the city. Another mark of prestige in a hierarchical structure, the lieutenant and the captain pre-load the float with everything from Costco snacks to wine bottles and spiked seltzers, while each float is also equipped with two better-than-spartan toilets behind wooden doors.

'The whole place turned into joyful mayhem...'

To get into the parade flow and leave room for any unpredictables that may occur along the way, floats begin their slow crawl from the convention center to the downtown of New Orleans about two hours before the start of the parade. Those aboard the floats use this time to socialize and, during a planned break in between, get off and chat with residents whose houses fall along the parade route. While you’re not allowed to throw the swag until the approved parade route, we had a chance to get off and chat some locals up by handing some to them.

There is a hierarchy to the Mardi Gras throws (here's what you need to know)

I was on the part of the float set aside for other journalists and we were getting a little antsy for the throwing part of the program to start. Once we reached the designated parade route, the whole place erupted into joyful mayhem as we threw the beads set aside for us with abandon. You saw elders and teenagers, young people with their families, line up in joyful anticipation of catching some of the more valuable swag (look out for my article on the value system of Mardi Gras throws later this week). As one co-rider on the float explained to me, you always know a local by how they duck out of the way for flashy but cheap beads and elbow others aside for the more valuable doubloons, tambourines and handmade crafts.

The night ends in a major gala but it's only a pre-party

The rookie mistake everyone in my section of the float made was not to pace ourselves and to throw the items away with abandon early on in the parade. While we had bags and bags and bags of swag provided to us, we ran out about 20 minutes before the float rolled back into the convention center for a final celebration. One way to party on Mardi Gras is to pay for a gala ticket to see the parade roll past you as you drink martinis in gowns and tuxedos. As the floats draw in, the riders get off and join the party. While there was a slight awkwardness in joining the beautifully-dressed people in my snowman-style float outfit and fingers stained from throwing and reaching for Cheetos for hours, all of that quickly dissipated as the dancing and true celebrations began. 

Oh, and this was only the pre-party. This was on Monday, while Mardi Gras starts the next day. That's why the old-timers kept telling us to "pace ourselves."

Veronika's trip was sponsored by New Orleans & Company, a marketing organization promoting the city of New Orleans as a tourism destination.