Mardi Gras Parade Schedule 2015: When And Where To Watch The First Weekend Of Celebrations In New Orleans

Mardi Gras isn’t technically until Feb. 17, but Louisiana will start celebrating this weekend. Parades for the pre-Lent carnival tradition were scheduled to kick off Friday in New Orleans. Due up first was Krewe of Cork, founded in 2000 and dedicated to wine. In the past, it’s included such spectacles as marching baby dolls, so you’ll want to watch the festivities here.

Fifteen minutes away from New Orleans proper, Metairie will host its annual Family Gras this weekend. Family Gras is free and runs through Sunday on Veterans Memorial Boulevard. In addition to an art market and kids zone, Family Gras has a food court that sells items like muffulettas, crawfish pasta and alligator-on-a-stick, according to its website. Artists including the Beach Boys, LeAnn Rimes and Becky G are slated to perform.

Below is the general parade schedule through Sunday night. All events are listed in Central Standard Time.

Friday: