Mardi Gras in New Orleans (40 images)

Spectators beg for prized Zulu coconuts and other trinkets as the Zulu parade rolls past St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street on Mardi Gras in New Orleans February 12, 2013. Cloudy skies and the occasional shower did little to discourage the fun-loving crowds as parades rolled on. UPI/A.J. Sisco

Musicians play in a rolling bandshell float while riders prepare to toss beads in the Rex parade on Mardi Gras in New Orleans February 12, 2013. Parades rolled and the party went on despite sporadic showers. UPI/A.J. Sisco

The Jester float, a cheerful symbol of Mardi Gras, rolls in the Rex parade past St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday, February 12, 2013, as spectators reach for beads. Parades rolled and the party went on despite sporadic showers. UPI/A.J. Sisco

Viewed from the balcony of the Royal Sonesta Hotel, thousands of Mardi Gras revelers crowd a soggy Bourbon Street on Fat Tuesday in the French Quarter of New Orleans February 12, 2013. Parades rolled and the party went on despite sporadic showers. UPI/A.J. Sisco