What to know: How is New Orleans celebrating Mardi Gras this year?
Mardi Gras is looked forward to by many people every year. The celebration takes place right before Lent and is filled with colorful parades, music, good food, drinking, dancing, and more.
The festival takes place in New Orleans every year, and this year, people have been wondering how Mardi Gras is going to work thanks to the pandemic that has been affecting the country for about a year now.
Here’s what the city of New Orleans has decided to do to make sure that their beloved festival will still happen this year.
WATCH: How New Orleans is keeping its Mardi Gras tradition going with house floats. @BreakingChesky shares this story. pic.twitter.com/hiKw0xu99Y
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) February 16, 2021
House Floats
Since parades are a no-go this year due to the inability to social distance parade attendees and performers, New Orleans citizens decided to do the next best thing.
They decorated their homes and called them “house floats”. The different homes are filled with colorful displays of all kinds filled with the same joy and verve any ordinary Mardi Gras float would have.
Others have been calling the static “parade” of house floats “Yardi Gras”.
Parades may be cancelled, but the Spirit of Mardi Gras lives on! I was able to catch The Timbuktu Warriors starting the day right. @wdsu pic.twitter.com/H1GUx0OuhI
— Sherman Desselle (@ShermanWDSU) February 16, 2021
Traditions don’t stop
The Timbuktu Warriors are a popular part of Mardi Gras festivities and New Orleans didn’t go without them this year.
With colorful outfits and traditional music, many people were delighted to see they were still putting on a performance this year.
Walked outside to find a porch concert on my street. I love this city. Happy Mardi Gras y’all! #nola #YardiGras #MardiGras pic.twitter.com/k3aux6wVAM
— Sydney Hodgeson (@SydneyHodgeson) February 14, 2021
Porch concert
To go along with the house floats, some more musically inclined people have even been performing in their yards to celebrate Mardi Gras with the usual energetic music people have come to know, love, and expect of the festival.
ICYMI: Starting tomorrow, February 12, and through Mardi Gras Day, there will be additional restrictions in place in #NOLA to prevent the spread of #COVID19 during the final weekend of Carnival. Details at https://t.co/Ba89oJBaMq pic.twitter.com/SxWlCqmf4S
— Mayor LaToya Cantrell (@mayorcantrell) February 11, 2021
Extra precautions
The festivities may go on, but officials want to make sure that they continue safely without spreading COVID-19 unnecessarily. Bars have been closed, pedestrians have been (semi) banned in popular areas of New Orleans, and alcohol sales have been restricted.
All the temporary rules appear to be in an effort to prevent gatherings of people.
Our favorite house floats
The house floats – a new addition to Mardi Gras – may well become a new tradition in New Orleans and people are loving it. Heck, we’re loving it! We wanted to share a few of the phenomenal creations people have put together.
RELEASE THE KRAKEN! 🦑#yardigras #housefloats pic.twitter.com/Q7S6xePFsJ
— Andy Kutcher (@andyknola) February 10, 2021
Kraken house
This house float is so stunning and amazing (although a lot of them are) that we had to give it a special shoutout. Look at it! It’s fantastic. The bright colors, the whimsicality, and the partying skeletons would get anyone to stop and stare in awe.
New Orleans House Floats, 2021 #MardiGras #YardiGras pic.twitter.com/DmNNIYRr3R
— brittney mczeal portraits (@brittneynmczeal) February 15, 2021
Pretty in pink
This design compliments the already pink house perfectly. The pearls, the flowers, the masked up people waving . . . It’s a sight to behold, that’s for sure.
It's hard to make #MardiGras better, but it is better with #YardiGras ! I hope this new tradition continues! 💜💛💚 pic.twitter.com/vmqUN3gBFs
— Bamasaint (@BAMA_NOLA) February 16, 2021
Dapper dinosaur
This yard has a very handsomely dressed dinosaur in their yard and we’re absolutely living for it . . . though we would very much like to know his name.
Put out some of our masks early for those house float hunting on what should be an Iris/Tucks/Endymion Saturday. Saving some for Fat Tuesday for those traditionalists who won’t let the Arctic blast stop their revelry. #kreweofhousefloats pic.twitter.com/1F5VzB4BHd
— Chris Belser (@CBelser_PSC) February 13, 2021
Masks
This colorful display also provided walkers with free Mardi Gras themed masks for anyone who might need (or want) one. A thoughtful and fun thing to do when throwing beads likely won’t be happening this year.
Somewhere over the rainbow 🌈 Ding dong the witch is dead #YardiGras pic.twitter.com/1v6EwoznaJ
— Susan Whelan (@nolamaven) February 15, 2021
Wizard of Oz
This display is a fun and whimsical tribute to the popular movie Wizard of Oz – a perfect choice for a festival that requires vibrancy & color. We think that this display would make Dorothy and Toto proud.
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Which house float is your favorite? Let us know in the comments down below!