Carnival Season is officially upon us, and it’s time to start planning out your parades. Mardi Gras falls on March 5th this year, and as that date quickly approaches, the entire city will transform into a purple, green, and gold wonderland that brings tourists from all over the world. If you’ve had the pleasure of living here during Mardi Gras, then these 8 thoughts have certainly crossed your mind.

1. King Cake Season!

Nothing gives you that slight thrill than walking into your local Rouses or Robert’s and seeing the tower of king cakes displayed in the front of the store. Whether you’re a filling or plain type of king cake eater, you know you’ve got to grab a box for the office. And maybe one for the home.

2. Traffic

You take the good, you take the bad, right? Well during Mardi Gras, traffic can get pretty heavy, so plan your route accordingly. And if you don’t, well then that leads us to number 3 on this list…

3. Getting stuck in parade traffic.

There's nothing worse than forgetting a parade route and getting caught up in the endless sea of traffic. Or being caught up in a whirlwind of street closures.

4. So many pedestrians!

Exponentially more than usual, and that’s to be expected. But when parades start rolling, the city basically transforms into one giant walking path.

5. Better restock your Mardi Gras Cups.

Everyone knows the best part of going to a parade is getting to stock up on your Mardi Gras cups for the year. They make excellent to-go cups throughout the year when you’re entertaining.

6. Hoping it doesn't rain.

It’s inevitable, at least one of the bigger parades will get rained on in some way. You hope it doesn’t last the entire length of the parade, but that’s when you just throw on a poncho and accept that you’ll just get rained on. Sometimes, you just need to dance in the rain, right?

7. Getting back in touch with that one friend who lives on the parade route.

If you’ve got an acquaintance that lives on a popular parade route (looking at you, St. Charles) then you’re going to want to shoot them a text message or an email now, so that when the parades start rolling, you’ll be extended an invitation. Having a home base (and bathroom access) during a parade makes all the difference in the world.

8. Knowing that there's no place else you'd rather be.

Reconnecting with old friends, making new friends on the parade route, dancing as the St. Aug band marches past... there's nothing like a Mardi Gras parade to make you feel so lucky that you get to have this entire experience right in your own backyard.

What parades are on your must-see list this year? Let us know in the comments below!