News and information from the New Orleans area
Posts tagged Mardi Gras
Chilly Carnival Season Forecast
016 years
February 2010 Blizzard up North Brrrr!!
The Northeast USA has gotten a lot of snow again, and eventually that cold air finds its way to the deep South. The next week will be frigid in New Orleans, and that means a COLD Mardi Gras. Here’s a link to the National Weather Service Forecast Office Baton Rouge/New Orleans Mardi Gras Climatology Chart. It’s a pretty nifty chart, with a lot of good condensed data about weather trends on Fat Tuesday. This year Fat Tuesday is February 16, 2010. For the big Second Carnival Weekend, February 13 & 14, nights in the 30s and days in the 50s are forecast.
Gigantic New Orleans Saints Parade Today
116 years
Sean Payton holding Lombardi Trophy from Car Sun Roof Patrick Semansky / AP
In the middle of the 2010 Carnival Season, our New Orleans Saints managed to kick butt on the favored Indianapolis Colts, and win the coveted Vince Lombardi Trophy for the first time in their 44 year history. A parade has been planned since the Saints entered the playoffs, win or lose. We WON, so count on a big, oversized, extremely crowded parade. The route is entirely downtown, and slightly shorter than the traditional Carnival parade route down St. Charles Avenue.
It was estimated by police that up to 15,000 Saints fans came out to New Orleans International Airport to greet the team on their return from Miami, where Super Bowl 44 was played. Based on that enthusiasm, you can expect the Saints Parade to draw crowds comparable to Endymion. The route is entirely down town, and slightly shorter than the traditional St. Charles route.
Very cold weather and blustery winds generally cut Mardi Gras crowds up to one half. It’s quite possible tonight’s Saints Parade will have smaller crowds as well.
Floats for the Saints Parade are being donated from the major Mardi Gras Parading Krewes, including Bacchus, Endymion, Alla, & Zulu. According to Blaine Kern Productions, producer for the parade, the Super Bowl Saints Parade will be the greatest, over the top Super Bowl Parade ever. However, the throws won’t be Saints logo throws, as all of those were purchased over the last several months as the Saints became hotter than a pistol. I hear that the Saints players will throw some NFL footballs- apparently, they control a good supply. As for bands, the best local Parade bands- U.S. Marine Marching Band, St. Augustine, Jesuit, McDonough 35, Carver, St. Mary’s Academy, and many more. The Budweiser Clydesdales are making a special appearance as well.
I could not have asked for a better outcome of last weekend. Mardi Gras is in full swing. What happened last weekend? The populace of New Orleans came to their collective senses in the voting booths, and threw away the politics of race and divisiveness. An amazing 67% of voters chose a white candidate, Mitch Landrieu. Why? There are a couple of key reasons. First, he was the best candidate by far. Second, buyers remorse. Landrieu lost closely to Ray Nagin in the last Mayor’s election, and after 4 more years of terrible Nagin, voters realized this weekend that they chose the wrong horse last time and the City suffered badly with a non-caring, do nothing. If Landrieu had been Mayor instead the last 4 years since Katrina, New Orleans would be in a much better place now, instead the recovery is half finished and half baked.
The voters had very stark differences between the Mayoral Candidates. Landrieu is an experienced politician with a Sister who’s a US Senator from Louisiana, and another Sister who is a Judge. His Dad was Mayor in the 70s and desegregated City Hall and Government. All the other candidates were political novices with with either business experience, the law, but no politics to speak of, and no relatives in very high political office.
Saints Super Bowl Parade photo dsb nola@flickr.com
dsb nola @flickr.com
What Happened to Sparta??
016 years
Sparta Crest in Tiles at Mardi Gras Fountain
Saw Sparta last night on St. Charles Avenue. It was a cold and windy night, and I was counting on warming myself up at the Lighting of the Flambeaux that DIDN’T take place last night.
Flambeaux Lighting 2009 photo by neworleansmusicman
Where were the flambeaux? Where was the lighting?
What’s up with Sparta? Inquiring Mardi Gras Bloggers want to know….
After the first few traditional floats, such as the Captain’s Float, the floats were attractive but they didn’t have the usual old time look and there were fewer bands. The whole parade passed in well under one hour, which is remarkably fast for any parade down St. Charles Avenue, even Sparta, which always hurtles down the Avenue.
Here’s a passage from the official web site for the Knights of Sparta
A spectacular signature float, a mule-drawn king’s float, traditional flambeaux, and mounted officers are just a few of the wonderful features of the Knights of Sparta street parade each year.
Photo by David Gladow
Alice in Wonderland Float, Knights of Sparta 2010
Biggest Weekend Since….
016 years
This weekend features 3 major events: the Super Bowl featuring our own long suffering New Orleans Saints; the end of a horrible, terrible political era- the primary election to get rid of Mayor Ray Nagin; the beginning of the 10 big days of Carnival- Major parades commence mostly every day right through Mardi Gras Day, Tuesday, February 16.
WHO DAT!! NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Enough’s been written about New Orleans Saints first appearance in the Super Bowl. It’s been 43 years since the Saints were formed, and the Crescent City has suffered through decades of bad teams, starting with the original owner, John Mecum, Jr., who never understood the game of professional football very well. Finally Tom Benson, who made his money in San Antonio, Texas selling cars, bought the team from Mecum. A new era began, but the Saints still took a couple of decades to reach 2010, the year the Saints shook off shackles, real or imagined, and made it to the Big Game in Miami.
Mayor Ray Nagin has been the worst mayor in decades. He was the mayor of record when Hurricane Katrina hit on August 30, 2005. His actions over the last few years have retarded New Orleans recovery. Good riddance to Mayor Ray Nagin. The election on Saturday will start the process of getting rid of this miserable politician.
Horrible NOLA Mayor Ray Nagin
Last but not least, it’s the first big weekend of Carnival 2010. Parades roll throughout the New Orleans Metro Area. Due to the Super Bowl, some parades have changed starting times, one has cancelled, and at least one has switched days.
Krewe of Bacchus' Bacchusaurus passes Gallier Hall
Mardi Gras Louisiana Lottery Tickets
016 years
The state of Louisiana has 2 different tickets, 1 based on the Krewe of Zulu, the other a Purple, Green & Gold ticket. The Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club’s ticket can win up to $10,000, and the Purple, Green & Gold Ticket pays out a maximum of $3,000.
Zulu Louisiana Lottery Ticket
Generic Louisiana Lottery Ticket
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The Zulu ticket features Zulu characters the Witch Doctor, Big Shot, and the King from the historic krewe.