New Orleans turns 300

A crowd of people try to catch beads on Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras in 2008. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is a celebration before the beginning of Lent.

Dusk overtakes New Orleans’ Jackson Square and St. Louis Cathedral in 2009.

Commander’s Palace, established in 1880, is located in New Orleans’ Garden District. It has long been one of the best regarded upscale restaurants in the city.

A streetcar picks up passengers on St. Charles Street in the Garden District.

New Orleans’ Lafayette Cemetery was established in what was once the city of Lafayette in 1833.

King Zulu presides over the Krewe of Zulu Parade as it rolls down St. Charles Avenue on Mardi Gras in 2004.

A plane hangs from the ceiling of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

Floats in the Rex parade roll along St. Charles Avenue on Feb. 20, 2007, during the second Mardi Gras since Hurricane Katrina devastated the region.

Patrons enjoy orders of coffee and chicory and beignets at Cafe Du Monde on Oct. 19, 2005. The famous cafe reopened after being closed for more than a month after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in August of that year.

Two men wear elaborate costumes during Mardi Gras in New Orleans. These costumes show a tradition of kinship between blacks and Native Americans, who often sheltered runaways during the time of slavery.

Jim Heath (aka the Reverend Horton Heat), left, and Jimbo Wallace perform at Tipitina’s in August 2013.

Spectators watch the Bourbon Street Awards contest from a French Quarter balcony during Mardi Gras 2008.

Women throw beads down to the crowd on Bourbon Street in 2007.

Randall Johnson of the Cool-Bone Jazz Band belts out a tune on Bourbon Street in 1999. The band was working the French Quarter for tips during Mardi Gras.

Members of the Pussyfooters group dance in the Krewe of Cleopatra Mardi Gras parade on Feb. 2, 2018. Although carnival season officially began Jan. 6, the festivities kick into high gear the two weekends ahead of Fat Tuesday.