Carnival season in Louisiana is a weeks-long pre-Lenten celebration.

Carnival in Louisiana begins on Jan. 6 and runs through Mardi Gras (Feb. 17 this year), featuring king cake, balls and more than 80 parades around New Orleans.

Across Louisiana people are preparing for Carnival, the weeks-long pre-Lenten period of feasting, balls and parades. The season begins on Jan. 6 (Epiphany) and ends with Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday. Because Mardi Gras is tied to Easter, its date varies; this year Fat Tuesday falls on Feb. 17, making Carnival 43 days. The celebration involves both residents and visitors and takes place across cities and rural communities in the region. Key details: - Carnival is rooted in Christian and Roman Catholic traditions and covers the period of revelry before Ash Wednesday. - Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is a single day that marks the end of Carnival. - Carnival always begins on Jan. 6, and this year the season totals 43 days because Mardi Gras is on Feb. 17. - New Orleans draws more than a million visitors each year and will host over 80 parades in and around the city this season. - Local traditions include king cake (which hides a small plastic baby), the rural Cajun Courir de Mardi Gras, and the Mardi Gras Indian processions in New Orleans. - Parade "throws" range from beads and doubloons to highly sought items; the Endymion krewe estimates it tosses more than 15 million throws along its route. Summary: Carnival brings large-scale parades, food traditions and masked processions across Louisiana, with varied local customs from urban balls to rural Courir de Mardi Gras. The season's immediate milestone is Mardi Gras on Feb. 17 this year, when the weeks of celebration conclude. Undetermined at this time.