After a weekslong pre-Lenten bash — complete with elaborate parades that meander through New Orleans, shimmery beads tossed from floats, streets lined with costumed revelers, lavish balls and seafood boils — Louisiana's 2025 Carnival Season is approaching its grand conclusion.
Many spend their time along parade routes, with their hands raised in the air to catch “throws” — trinkets tossed to spectators by float riders and walking members of carnival clubs known as krewes.
Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, which takes place March 4, marks the party’s climax and the end of Carnival Season on the Gulf Coast.
Each year, along with Louisiana residents, more than a million visitors travel to New Orleans to partake in the city's world-famous Carnival celebrations.
While throws include plastic beads, candy, stuffed animals, cups and toys, there are also the more coveted items such as painted coconuts, hand-decorated shoes and bedazzled toilet plungers.
