Wholesale A Celebration of Carnival: Arthur Hardy looks back at a 50 years of Mardi Gras in New Orleans

For five decades, Arthur Hardy has been our neighbor, our guide, and the keeper of our Carnival memories. From his Gentilly kitchen table in 1977 to receiving the key to the city in 2024, Hardy transformed himself from a Brother Martin band director into the man we simply call “Mr. Mardi Gras.” His annual guide has reached over 3 million readers, but for us locals, Arthur is family, the trusted voice who gets it right, who rode with Rex after documenting them for decades, who stood with us through the police strike of ’79, Katrina's aftermath, and every magical moment in between. This 112-page celebration brings together the stories only Arthur could tell, filled with photographs that capture the parades you remember, the krewes you cheered for, and the moments that made you proud to be a part of Mardi Gras.