NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Revelers in tuxedoes and gowns danced into the wee hours Tuesday at glitzy balls, kicking off the annual Mardi Gras bash that spills costumed merrymakers into the streets of New Orleans for partying and parades.
Al Johnson, singer of the catchy Mardi Gras tune “Carnival Time,” served as grand marshal of the Red Beans and Rice foot parade, a Monday prelude to the all-out revelry known as “Fat Tuesday.”
The cast of the CBS crime drama “NCIS: New Orleans” got to experience Mardi Gras firsthand as they rode in the Orpheus parade late Monday, tossing beads to revelers on city streets.
Ordinary folks took to dressing up for the balls. And around daybreak Tuesday, retired clarinetist Peter Fountain was to help kick off the citywide party of parades and revelry.