<P> The expedition , led by Iberville , entered the mouth of the Mississippi River on the evening of March 2 , 1699 , Lundi Gras , not yet knowing it was the river explored and claimed for France by René - Robert Cavelier , Sieur de La Salle in 1683 . The party proceeded upstream to a place on the west bank about 60 miles downriver from where New Orleans is today , where a small tributary emptied into the great river , and made camp in what is now Plaquemines Parish , Louisiana . This was on March 3 , 1699 , Mardi Gras day , so in honor of this holiday , Iberville named the spot Point du Mardi Gras ( French : `` Mardi Gras Point '' ) and called the small tributary Bayou Mardi Gras . Bienville went on to found Mobile , Alabama in 1702 as the first capital of French Louisiana . In 1703 French settlers in that city began to celebrate the Mardi Gras tradition . By 1720 , Biloxi was made capital of Louisiana . While it had French settlers , Mardi Gras and other customs were celebrated with more fanfare given its new status . In 1723 , the capital of French Louisiana was moved to New Orleans , founded in 1718 . With the growth of New Orleans as a city and the creolization of different cultures , the varied celebration of Mardi Gras became the event most strongly associated with the city . In more recent times , several U.S. cities without a French Catholic heritage have instituted the celebration of Mardi Gras , which sometimes emerged as grassroots movements to help accompany single people to celebrate something in late Winter which is often dominated by the commercialized and couple - centric Valentine 's Day , and as a result it has been co-opted as the single people 's late Winter holiday . </P>
<P> The expedition , led by Iberville , entered the mouth of the Mississippi River on the evening of March 2 , 1699 , Lundi Gras , not yet knowing it was the river explored and claimed for France by René - Robert Cavelier , Sieur de La Salle in 1683 . The party proceeded upstream to a place on the west bank about 60 miles downriver from where New Orleans is today , where a small tributary emptied into the great river , and made camp in what is now Plaquemines Parish , Louisiana . This was on March 3 , 1699 , Mardi Gras day , so in honor of this holiday , Iberville named the spot Point du Mardi Gras ( French : `` Mardi Gras Point '' ) and called the small tributary Bayou Mardi Gras . Bienville went on to found Mobile , Alabama in 1702 as the first capital of French Louisiana . In 1703 French settlers in that city began to celebrate the Mardi Gras tradition . By 1720 , Biloxi was made capital of Louisiana . While it had French settlers , Mardi Gras and other customs were celebrated with more fanfare given its new status . In 1723 , the capital of French Louisiana was moved to New Orleans , founded in 1718 . With the growth of New Orleans as a city and the creolization of different cultures , the varied celebration of Mardi Gras became the event most strongly associated with the city . In more recent times , several U.S. cities without a French Catholic heritage have instituted the celebration of Mardi Gras , which sometimes emerged as grassroots movements to help accompany single people to celebrate something in late Winter which is often dominated by the commercialized and couple - centric Valentine 's Day , and as a result it has been co-opted as the single people 's late Winter holiday . </P>
where was the first mardi gras parade held
where was the first mardi gras parade held
Mobile , Alabama
Mobile , Alabama