Arthur Hardy, publisher of The Mardi Gras Guide, posted this update Monday on mardigrasguide.com.
Three months til Fat Tuesday.
At the most recent meeting of the New Orleans Mayor’s Mardi Gras Advisory Committee, Mayor LaToya Cantrell gave krewes until Nov. 15 to submit detailed plans how they would comply with the mandated health requirements. That deadline has been moved to Dec. 5.
More than a dozen captains with whom I spoke said that the social distance requirements on floats (requiring riders to stay at least 6 feet apart) were deal breakers, either requiring them to reduce their ridership by two-thirds or to acquire twice as many floats.
Most feel the mayor is forcing them to cancel their parades rather than take action herself. Expect some announcements this week, either by individual krewes or by a collection of them, as to their plans for 2021.
Mardi Gras is Feb. 16. New Orleans coronavirus guidelines and the process for submitting ideas for a compliant event are posted on the city's website, ready.nola.gov.
Traditional balls
Though not announced publicly, The Twelfth Night Revelers’ (Carnival’s second-oldest krewe) decision last week to cancel their Jan. 6 ball was big news with the non-parading krewes whose balls are tied into the debutante season.
Last Friday’s announcement from the mayor’s office, which detailed further restrictions on indoor gatherings, will almost certainly cause most if not all of the remaining traditional balls to cancel. Krewes are required to apply for a permit with the city to stage their private events, at which they must agree to do contact tracing, allow no dancing, no buffets and no alcohol after 11 p.m. These same regulations will be in place for events such as the Endymion Extravaganza, the Bacchus Rendezvous and the Orpheuscapade.
Metairie
Expect an announcement from Jefferson Parish soon that parades will roll as long as the spread of coronavirus is under a certain percentage. The Parish Council will formalize all plans on Dec. 9. Unofficial reports indicate minimum requirements as to the number of floats, bands, and riding members will be relaxed. We may see two or three parades combine. Family Gras will run the first Friday and Saturday but not Sunday because of the Super Bowl. Construction on Severn Avenue will likely mean all parades will start on Bonnabel and end at Clearview.
Slidell
All parades in Slidell will roll on the first weekend, with Selene on Friday, Poseidon followed by Titans on Saturday, and Dionysus on Sunday. Perseus and Slidellians have already cancelled. The proposed new route through Olde Towne will probably not happen in 2021.
Covington
Convington’s annual Fat Tuesday Lions Club parade and Covington’s Carnival Celebration will move to Sunday because St. Tammany Parish schools do not have a holiday on Mardi Gras.
