Mardi Gras isn’t just about the French Quarter. In fact, none of the major parades has entered the Vieux Carré since the 1970s because it’s too cramped. Instead, they “roll” (the term for parading) through a different part of town — along tree-lined St. Charles Avenue, flanked by the city’s grandest colonial mansions. In the week before Mardi Gras, the street hosts more than a dozen major parades, which leave thousands of bead necklaces hanging from its historic oaks.