Mardi Gras day in the Garden District. Doesn't look like you expected, does it? For locals, Mardi Gras isn't about excessive drinking, Bourbon Street, or even boobs.
I dated a guy when I first lived in New Orleans who told me that Mardi Gras was his Christmas, New Year's and Fourth of July all rolled up into one. I thought that was ridiculous. Now, I realize he was understating the case.