Bill Haber/AP Photo
The party's been as wild as ever this year, before the self-denial season of Lent begins. Hundreds of thousands of visitors flocked to the city decked out in beads and feathers to watch dozens of over-the-top parades. They spent a little over a week drinking, eating and dancing in the streets.
Some estimates say the biggest free party in the country brings in more than $500 million for New Orleans.