gallery Mardi Gras Parade | Fat Tuesday | masquerade mask

On the Tuesday before ash Wednesday, bead-draped Louisianians and their guests hit the streets for a day of fun and frivolity. And no two places celebrate it in exactly the same way.

In the New Orleans area, more than 60 parades roll during the two weeks before Fat Tuesday. Slidell and Madisonville celebrate with colorful boat parades, and Monroe-West Monroe, Lake Charles and Houma have lighted boat parades. Shreveport-Bossier City's and Lafayette's Mardi Gras traditions focus on family activities, and the Alexandria-Pineville are celebrates with a children's parade for the young and the young at heart.

For more information visit: www.mardigras.com

gallery Sundance Film Festival

 The largest independent cinema festival in the US, The Sundance Film Festival, founded by Robert Redford in 1981, is the premier showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers.

The festival comprises competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films, and a group of noncompetitive showcase sections, including the Sundance Online Film Festival.

Through its Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance Institute has grown into an internationally recognized resource for thousands of independent artists.

For more information visit: http://sundance.org

gallery Rose Parade January Pasadena, California

Since 1890, millions of spectators from around the world celebrate the New Year with the annual Rose Parade featuring the beautiful pageantry and tradition of magnificent floral floats, high-stepping equestrians and spirited marching bands.

The Rose Parade has grown from a local Pasadena institution to a national ceremony that's very equivelent to the New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square.

For more information visit:http://www.tournamentofroses.com/