The traditional Mardi Gras parades, a tradition in New Orleans going back to 1837, won't be rolling this year due to COVID concerns. Mardi Gras parades are notorious for bringing densely-packed crowds including visiting tourists, to watch dozens of huge decorated floats that parade through the city for several weeks preceding, and the day of Fat Tuesday (this year Feb. 25). Floats typically feature caricatures of whatever theme that "krewe" has chosen for that year, including current events and political figures.
Last year conventional Mardi Gras parades led to a spike in that city of Coronavirus as superspreader events.
So in lieu of parades, New Orleanians are staging Yardi Gras, decorating their own houses in float style. So instead of standing in one spot watching floats go by at a predetermined time and place, you can drive around solo at your own pace and time and gawk at how this or that house decorated itself.
It's like Christmas in February.
Uptown Messenger has a few pages on it.
New Orleans Turns to Yardi Gras
Last year conventional Mardi Gras parades led to a spike in that city of Coronavirus as superspreader events.
So in lieu of parades, New Orleanians are staging Yardi Gras, decorating their own houses in float style. So instead of standing in one spot watching floats go by at a predetermined time and place, you can drive around solo at your own pace and time and gawk at how this or that house decorated itself.
It's like Christmas in February.
Uptown Messenger has a few pages on it.
New Orleans Turns to Yardi Gras