Mardi Gras in The 1920s?

Specifically in New Orleans.

MG in New Orleans during the 1920s would have been similar to today, but with some important exceptions.

Most obvious would have been the lack of "super parades" like Bacchus and Endymion, which were formed in the 1960s and have open memberships (pay the fee and you can join). The more traditional MG parades were (and still are) organized by very exclusive socialclubs with closed memberships.

Mardi Gras was much more segregated. However, the first Afrian-American Queen (of a carnival krewe) was "presented" in 1925 by the Illinois Club (still today and "exclusive" social club).

The first carnival krewe (Comus) would have paraded on Mardi Gras night, as they did from 1872 until the 1990s. In the 1990s the City of New Orleans unconstitutionally attempted to dicate to the Krewes who could be members of the private clubs and the response of Comus was to cease parading.

There would have been fewer tourists, though the local crowds would have been as large as today.

The recent phenomenon of flashing for beads and similar risque behavior would not have happened.

Parades routes would have gone through the French Quarter, a practic that stopped in the 1970s due to crowd density concerns.

However, a visitor from today who found themselves in New Orleans during carnival in the 1920s would have recognized the spectacle.