Best Gay-Friendly Carnival Events in New Orleans to Attend This Year
When most people think of Mardi Gras, the first things that come to mind are beads, booze, and boobs. The promise of the intoxicating trio is what draws in over a million tourists every year. What many tourists don't know though is that, along with many other Carnival misconceptions, Mardi Gras is a marathon, not a sprint.
There are parades, parties, and events nearly every weekend. All through the Mardi Gras season, good times roll and the beads get thrown around like, well, beads at Mardi Gras, and the events around town are countless.
Just like our city, the masses of tourists flocking to New Orleans for Mardi Gras are diverse. Always a true Southern host, our city welcomes everyone with open arms, and events for everyone, including the queer community. The spirit of Mardi Gras welcomes the extravagant, the peculiar, and the provocative. No one understands how to encompass all three quite like the LGBTQIA+ community. The queer community has events throughout the season that provide a safe space to be out, loud, and proud, while also celebrating Mardi Gras. In fact, New Orleans has a long history of queer Mardi Gras.
The Phoenix Bar
Balcony Bead Toss and Lords of Leather
Mardi Gras Ball Afterparty
Saturday, February 18 / TBD
The Phoenix Bar is a well known gay leather bar in New Orleans that hosts queer and leather oriented events throughout the year. Every Mardi Gras, the Phoenix hosts two special events: their Balcony Bead Toss and the Lords of Leather Mardi Gras Ball Afterparty. Both of these events are free, and the bar remains open to the public. This year, the Balcony Bead Toss will be held on Saturday, February the 18 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. This bead toss is hilariously saucy, with prized throws including specially decorated adult novelties which resemble a part of the male anatomy. Following the Mardi Gras Ball for the Lords of Leather, the attendees and friends make their way to the Phoenix to keep the good times rolling. This afterparty is a great way to get a taste for the gay Mardi Gras krewes and their extravagance.
The Golden Lantern Bar
TBD
The Golden Lantern is one of the oldest gay bars in New Orleans, having opened in 1964. The Golden Lantern is an inclusive community gathering space in the French Quarter that is the original home of Southern Decadence, an annual six-day event held in New Orleans during Labor Day Weekend. The local bar hosts events throughout the year featuring drag shows, live music, and great drinks. While they are known for the birth of Southern Decadence, they also host events throughout the Mardi Gras Season.
The Bourbon Street Awards
Mardi Gras Day-12pm
Corner of St. Ann and Dauphine Streets
Last but certainly not least, one of the most spectacular LGBTQ+ Mardi Gras events held every year is the Bourbon Street Awards. Each year, the crowds gather at the intersection of St. Ann and Dauphine Streets for one of the most extravagant and extraordinary costume contents ever to be seen. In years' past, celebrity emcees have graced the stage to entertain the gayest and rowdiest crowds of the year. This is an event that is truly unforgettable, with cash prizes being handed out to the winners, whose costumes cost hundreds and thousands and exhausting hours to create. The categories for the contest include best drag, best group, best leather, and best overall costume.
Have Fun at These LGBT+ Mardi Gras Events
Whether you're looking for glitz and glamor, or sexy and extravagant, New Orleans has it all. These LGBTQ+ friendly events provide a safe space to celebrate Mardi Gras in style, whatever that style may be.
