Mardi Gras in New Orleans: I told you they would have this party

[WilliamPitt]

Back when Katrina happened, I posted something about how I believed the next Mardi Gras was going to be the best ever. More than a few people chastised me for being insensitive, for talking about a party amid all the death and destruction. They were correct to say so, but I was also right: New Orleans is not a city that can or will be kept down.

Dig it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/17/national/nationalspecial/17orleans.html?hp&ex=1140238800&en=52c17341a12af775&ei=5094&partner=homepage

Mardi Gras Set for City Stripped of All but Pride
By DAN BARRY and ADAM NOSSITER
Published: February 17, 2006

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 16 — With a purplish dusk settling over the city, a few workers in a hurricane-damaged warehouse daub the final garish touches on an armada of Mardi Gras floats. Any day now, these grotesqueries on wheels will roll through city streets, reminding all who see them to seize the day, for tomorrow we fast.

Across the rutted street from the warehouse, the workers can gaze at the railroad tracks and see an endless stretch of unspoiled white government trailers, sitting on flatcars like a broken string of oversize, colorless Mardi Gras beads. A different kind of grotesquerie on wheels, these trailers will be homes for the fortunate, reminding all who see them that six months after Hurricane Katrina, hard times, not good times, continue to roll in the great city of New Orleans.

The first Mardi Gras parade of 2006 will strut and shout up Napoleon Avenue and then along St. Charles on Saturday, trumpeting a plaintive, post-traumatic theme: "May God Bless New Orleans." This parade, and the more than two dozen to follow over the next 11 days, through Mardi Gras on Feb. 28, will wend through a city stripped of all but its pride in the wind and floodwaters.

...more...

It won't be the same, of course. But it is happening.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. This would be a great year to go to Mardi Gras

Less crowded, happy crowds. I so wish I could be there.

[BlueEyedSon]

2. Yeah and none of that poor, black riff-raff

:sarcasm:

After all, wasn't that the point of Bushco's inaction?

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. Well that wasn't what I was thinking

I am betting that the people there have lots to celebrate this year. There is still a lot of suffering but you have to admire them putting this on this year. No one would blame them if they canceled it.

[BlueEyedSon]

7. I know. Sorry I was harsh. I was mostly addressing the failures of

FEMA and the (likely) gentrification that the rebuilding will entail.

[melody]

6. That was the point of the inaction, but not the party - or the comment

New Orleans has always been profoundly "alive". My aunt Bessie (who lived and worked there) always called it a city with its own mind.
There is no putting it down. African culture is a vital portion of NOLA culture and will remain so.

[BOSSHOG]

4. Its a major economic engine

besides being one helluva great party. I've been to a half dozen and it is nothing but wall to wall fun, free flowing booze, more than occasional nudity and random acts of copulation on balconies overlooking Bourbon Street. I can understand those who choose not to party but after a hurricane rides up your ass for about 18 hours (I was around the Katrina too) its good to get out and let go and especially when such activities are making money for the city.

Let the Good Times Roll!

[donheld]

5. I wonder if the partiers will tour the devastation?

:shrug: Just asking. I hope the city does come back to it's old self. I just hope they don't destroy the lives of the poor to do it.

[HeeBGBz]

32. They won't have to go far

They'll see plenty of devastation before they even get started.

[MuseRider]

8. I'm begging my husband to go back

to the Jazz Festival, we try to go every couple of years and he loves it. Not only for the festival but he lived in NO for about 5 years. He refuses to go because of the benzine levels. Anyone hear about all that?

I wanna GO! May have to find someone else to go with.

[BOSSHOG]

9. You may also want to consider

The French Quarter Festival 21-23 April. Free music all throughout the quarter, dancing and food booths all over the place. Its like a jazzfest for locals but its getting bigger every year. And its much less a logistics pain in the butt the jazz fest is. You can get a hotel room in the quarter, take a shuttle from the airport and never have to drive anywhere. And it usually is not as hot as Jazzfest.

http://www.fqfi.org/

[MuseRider]

11. Thanks I will look into it

but I LOVE the Jazz Fest, LOVE IT! That is saying something from someone who really does not care all that much for jazz. I considered the pain of getting there and trying to get back just part of the deal.

[Chomskyite]

10. I'm a little worried

. . . that the costs to the city and the parishes for the party will not nearly be met by the sponsors (who are contributing only half what was thought they would) or by the sales tax generated by tourists. That will only add to the miseries of a city that can't afford enough hospital space or school the children whose parents can't afford private schools.

Meanwhile, nobody in the legislature mentions the possibility of changing our budget laws so that we can run the merest penny in deficit, even temporarily.

And not one legislator suggests taxing the oil companies who are making record profits in part by blaming the hurricanes and blaming the wars they themselves did all they could to bring about.

Incredible

[pitohui]

19. don't worry, they plan to make the $$$ in parking tickets

they had a story up this morning on nola.com which they quickly removed, or i'd link it, telling that they have a big push now to ticket and tow your vehicle, maybe they got embarrassed by the bad publicity this is sending

this has ALWAYS been a problem at mardi gras and is THE reason why i stopped going to mardi gras, i'm sorry, i can't just flap my wings and fly, and if they are not going to provide anyplace to park nor any public transportation, then it simply isn't possible to attend

of all times to have a push to ticket and tow why the hell do this just when you're trying to get people to come back and spend money in the city?

i guess my $$$ will have to stay on the other side of the lake, and i'm not the only one who feels that way either

[pitohui]

20. not one legislator? what abt blanco?

not one legislator suggests taxing the oil companies who are making record profits in part by blaming the hurricanes and blaming the wars they themselves did all they could to bring about.


blanco is pushing to block further oil leases in the northern gulf of mexico offshore louisiana until louisiana starts getting a fair cut of the royalties starting in august

[noonwitch]

12. Up here in Detroit, we eat insanely fattening paczkis that day

Large donuts filled with frosting, custard or jelly.

[Susang]

22. Same thing in Chicago

-Susang (a born and raised Detroit city gal, currently living in Chicago)

[gWbush is Mabus]

13. I'm going in 1 week!!!

[egadsbrain]

14. And... the dogs are marching in as well!

Sunday, Feb. 19 will be the 14th annual Barkus parade in the French Quarter. The “Mystic Krewe of Barkus” is a non-profit organization which donates the proceeds of the parade to animal welfare groups.

For Best Friends, the parade is an opportunity to celebrate the survival and rescue of thousands of dogs and cats before completing its rescue efforts in New Orleans and closing its staging area at Celebration Station in adjacent Metairie on Feb. 28.

The 2006 Barkus Parade starts at Armstrong Park at 2 p.m. and proceeds on a traditional 15-block route. But the party will start at 10:30 a.m. in the park and continue on after the parade is competed.

There is going to be live coverage on the Best Friends website too!

http://network.bestfriends.org/hurricane/news/1591.html

[Vodid]

15. As a resident of New Orleans...

The article says something about "The first Mardi Gras parade of 2006", to roll on Saturday...and this is just plain wrong. There have already been several parades, most notably, the irreverent and satirical and raunchy Krewe du Vieux parade.

photos of this years Krewe du Vieux parade here...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonnodotcom/sets/72057594062966941/

But the carnival season (for all the carnival-deprived out there) begins on Twelfth Night, which is twelve days after Christmas, and the carnival season crescendos on the last day, Mardi Gras day, ending at midnight.

The Phunny Phorty Phellows has the distinction, every year, of being the first "parade" of the carnival season (although they actually ride the Saint Charles Streetcar). Their event is always on Twelfth Night.

Photos of this years Phunny Phorty Phellows ride...

http://www.phunnyphortyphellows.com/photos/2006_streetcar_ride/

Now doesn't this all look like fun? It is!

The spirit of carnival is beginning to envelope the city, and this weekend should be very festive, with abundant parties and much revelry in the streets. And it'll only get more intense as Mardi Gras day approaches.

Y'all oughta come on down.

[RB TexLa]

17. You are the first person from New Orleans

Not involved in a krewe that I have heard voice that perspective. When the Mardi Gras backers first started talking about having parades this year everyone I know in the city were shocked that it was even being thought about, let alone seriously being planned.

An Aunt summed it up best in December "Just what kind of a human being is in this city right now and thinking about Mardi Gras parades?"

[jus_the_facts]

16. Touche'.....

....you were right...I was wrong....and though I've been a resident of Louisiana m'whole life I've never been to Mardi Gras unfortunately...this year will be no exception....it wouldn't be very festive for me regardless...because I'd most likely end up cryin' my heart out...instead of bein' able to party. :(

[pitohui]

18. yeah but where are we supposed to park our cars?

the entire revenue of the city seems to be parking tickets and now tow trucks

i understand they need revenue but, crap, announcing a new initiative to tow away cars the freakin week before mardi gras is not the way to get people to attend mardi gras

one of the orleans city councilcritters said she's in favor of towed cars being held for 3 days before release, well, isn't that special?

obviously she doesn't want local people to drop by, it's just for those who already have hotel rooms

they need to have mardi gras, of course, they do, but it would nice if it were a little bit more inclusive

i feel as if everyone coming from any distance by car has been specifically warned away

here we go, i found the story!

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/neworleans/index.ssf?/base/news-5/11401595435020.xml

A Quarter-wide towing blitz in the days before Krewe du Vieux had little effect, residents said. Now, residents are bracing for almost two weeks of nonstop Carnival festivities.

"I've been at this since October," Clarkson said. "If it was up to me, we'd tow them all and not let them take their cars back for three days. That would get their attention, and they might not do it again."

[BOSSHOG]

21. Ain't that the truth

The big parking lot at Jax Brewery has been used for relief workers but I think that is soon coming down. If I go, I'll park at the Navy Station on Dauphine and walk along the wharf. Long, but nice stroll.

[arwalden]

23. A Simple "Nyah Nyah Tole-Jah So" would have sufficed...

... don't-cha think? :-)

[Susang]

25. Nah

Not enough words. :D

[jpgray]

26. Not if it was a quote. Gandhi said that once, didn't he?

[Susang]

27. I thought it was the bouncer at Bukowski's

Could be wrong. }(

[jpgray]

28. You are eeeevil

:7

Pitt, you're a good guy and you write some good stuff, but you're also fun to tease. :D I hope you don't mind, and if you do, I'll give it a rest.

[Susang]

29. All in good fun

Right? :evilgrin:

[jpgray]

31. Sure--once I'm a published author, Pitt can snark me all he wants

:patriot:

Right now I have to be content with running my bookstore, helping old ladies cross the street, and being a cop/law student/moderate Catholic.

(Incidentally I have no problem being snarked by WillPitt now--in this very thread, even :P)

[symbolman]

24. See it now

before Halliburton hands it over to DISNEY..

[Stephanie]

30. not to rain on the parade but

1300 dead

and the Newshour last night about the levees - terrifying! they are building them to low specs and only to withstand Level 3. And Katrina was almost a Level 5. WTF?

And the restaurant owner in the interview, who said, "everyone is scared." they're afraid of the levees breaking again. they must all have PTSD. it's like you asked the workers who survived the WTC to go back to work there weeks later.