Although today New Orleans is practically synonymous with Mardi Gras in the U.S., the celebration began in Mobile, Alabama, where the first Mardi Gras was celebrated in 1703—not the Crescent City.

Among the women honored is Aminthe Laudumiey Nungesser, a trailblazer in Mardi Gras history. She founded the Krewe of Iris in 1917 and the Krewe of Venus, the first parading women’s organization, in ...

The "Mardi Gras Service" will run twice daily with stops in Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay St. Louis, though exact schedules and fares are still pending.

As a newcomer to New Orleans, I've been struck by just how many events, festivals and things to do there have been in my first couple of months in the city. To me, it felt like my first Mardi Gras ...