Thinking outside the parade: the best things to do at Mardi Gras that don’t involve floats

So, you’re in New Orleans for Carnival. First of all, good for you! Unless you are an exceptionally boring person, you’re in for the time of your life — but with so many parade krewes, fancy throws, marching bands, dance squads, flambeau-wielders and so on, you might be tempted to stick only to the Carnival parades during your stay in the Big Easy. This is a mistake. There’s a TON of cool stuff going on outside of the parade routes, and here is where it’s at…