New Orleans Mayor’s Website Says “No” For 2021 Mardi Gras Parades

A post on the website for the office of New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has put a damper on the plans for next year’s Mardi Gras. According to the website’s Frequently Asked Questions section, there will be NO parades permitted in the city at all. The website says:

“Parades of any kind will not be permitted this year because large gatherings have proven to be super spreader events of the COVID-19 virus”

Which indicates that all levels of Mardi Gras parades, both big and small, are done for 2021. That will be a huge blow to the City and the Krewes in the city.

The Mardi Gras parades in 2020 were blamed for being the “super spreader” events that made Louisiana one of the first major “COVID Hot Spots” early in the year. Which is what the Mayor's office is pointing to as they make this decision.

Even though two major vaccine breakthroughs have been announced over the last two weeks, and many doctors believe that vaccines will start being administered by the end of this year, it doesn't look like it will be enough for the city to allow parades.

This will of course be a massive hit to the City of New Orleans, because Mardi Gras is generally a $1 billion economic impact for the city, and region. Which will also impact the entire state of Louisiana, through sales and other taxes paid during that time.