Mardi Gras is still on!!

Last year, Mardi Gras festivities were restricted because of rising COVID cases. When looking at the possibility of a Mardi Gras season, The Washington Post said Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, predicted a normal Mardi Gras would be impossible after the city’s summer’s surge.

“It’s very clear that there’s no way we could have the kinds of crowds we would normally have,” she notes. With all of this information, New Orleans concluded that Mardi Gras 2021 was not going to happen.

With Mardi Gras 2022 coming up, there will be changes to the parade route.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell says, “No one is being singled out; no one is being given special treatment. These changes are truly being done with an emphasis on equity and fairness…” Changes are being made to the parade routes in New Orleans to ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to see the parades and for everyone’s safety. 

According to Nola.com, Endymion will now turn right on Elks Place/Loyola Avenue instead Avenue instead of turning right onto St. Charles Avenue, and Rex will now start on Napoleon Avenue and Carondelet Street instead of South Claiborne Avenue and Napoleon Avenue. These are just a few parades that are being changed for the 2022 Mardi Gras season.

Another article done by Nola.gov says, “The changes were made after extensive consultation and planning between all involved public safety agencies including NOPD, NOFD, EMS, and Homeland Security.”

These changes have been made to the parade route to protect everyone’s safety. One big reason for this change is that, in 2020, two people were killed by a Mardi Gras float. Mayor LaToya expresses that her top priority for this Mardi Gras is everyone’s safety. Hopefully, these changes will result in a safe 2022 Mardi Gras season. 

Despite the changes, one thing about Mardi Gras is staying the same: the fun and the traditions.