Carnival compass: Your ultimate Mardi Gras parade guide

The pulse-pounding beats of marching bands echoing across the city signal that Carnival season is in full swing. As the final stretch of celebration rapidly approaches, local bakeries continuously sprinkle purple, green and gold sugar stripes on their king cake creations, and New Orleanians meticulously work on their wonderfully wild costumes to debut on Fat Tuesday.

Before you get your own krewe together to scout out a perfect spot on the route for a Bacchus Super Sunday bash or plot this year’s game plan to finally catch a shimmering Muses shoe, check out this infographic designed by Tracey Bellina Milazzo for a preview of some of our favorite upcoming parades.

Click to browse each krewe’s website, then print and plan your own personal Mardi Gras itinerary. (All information was compiled from the featured krewes and from Arthur Hardy's 2016 Mardi Gras Guide.)