Mardi Gras
The Krewe of House Floats is an initiative to decorate homes during the Carnival season because of the cancellation and postponement of parades and gatherings for Mardi Gras 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Zulu parade that rolls through the streets of New Orleans, on Mardi Gras morning, has long been a yearly routine for thousands of New Orleanians. The krewe itself has a rich history dating back to the early 20th Century.
Krewe of Red Beans founder Devin De Wulf has some advice for people who, for one reason or another, end up in New Orleans. He believes it is important for people to expose themselves to new experiences in the many wonderful and different neighborhoods of the Crescent City.
Thanks to the Krewe of House Floats, Carnival fans can follow an online map to walk, bike and drive by hundreds of house “floats” decorated in neighborhood themes and ready for viewing Feb. 1-16. Think of it like driving around to see holiday lights at Christmas time – look but don’t linger.
Before event limits over COVID-19 were in place, hundreds of mourners and several dozen Mardi Gras Indians paid tribute to Big Chief Leonard Brooks of the Golden Spears and second chief of the Golden Blades.
Bike cops and mounted officers line up as New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, Police Chief Shaun Ferguson and representatives from several state and local police departments as well as first responders prepare to perform the traditional and largely symbolic midnight sweep of Bourbon Street to mark the end of Mardi Gras.
Elaborate and fabulous costumes compete for prizes in the categories of Drag, Leather, Group, Individual, and Best Overall during the 56th annual Bourbon Street Awards.
Here are some of the wildest images from Fat Tuesday.
For over 200 years the Northside Skull and Bone Gang has woken up Treme residents for Mardi Gras. The skeleton gang led by Chief Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes is meant to remind people of their mortality and to live a moral life to avoid becoming Skull and Bones.