Will Shreveport Ruin Mardi Gras in 2022?
Several krewe members informed us that they attended a Mardi Gras Task Force Meeting on Wednesday night. Apparently, this is pretty regular occurrence and not out of the ordinary. But, considering everything we've had to endure over the past couple of years, it's kind of hard to not start freaking out a bit.
Is Mardi Gras 2022 in Shreveport Actually Going to Happen?
Although many folks have sworn that Mardi Gras in Shreveport will happen, there are so many things that could happen to ruin our Mardi Gras experience. We've had several local events postponed/canceled, movie productions are starting to shut down again...so, while I'm trying not to panic, some times it's hard to not doubt that something is going to mess up our fun and revelry.
The City of Shreveport Has Shown Us Knee-jerk Reactions Concerning Covid-19
Remember when Mayor Perkins tested positive for COVID-19 and all of a sudden the city of Shreveport reinstated the mask mandates in all government buildings? So, we have alarming positive COVID tests plus knee-jerk reactions from the local government, could this ruin Mardi Gras in Shreveport? Probably not.
How Could Shreveport Ruin Mardi Gras 2022 for the Community?
1. Will Shreveport Make Everyone Wear Masks Outside?
How does one yell "Throw me something mister!" without it sounding muffled?
2. Will You Have to Show Proof of Vaccination Every Time You Catch Beads?
Could we find a company that can give us jumbo copies of our vaccination cards and let us laminate them and wear them around our necks?
3. Will There Be a Quarantine Float?
Could we get a company to come and cover a float in plexi glass? Instead of the people under quarantine missing the parade, they can ride in the parade instead.
4. Will Riders Have to Take a COVID Test Every Mile?
Instead of "must be this tall to ride" signs could we be seeing "All riders must stop here and get a negative COVID test to continue riding"?
5. Could They Shorten the Parade Route to be Less Than Half a Mile?
It's no secret the police force is down some serious manpower, so with Shreveport facing a 100+ officer shortage plus several positive covid cases within the Shreveport Police Department, will Shreveport opt to drastically shorten the route to make sure we have enough police officers?
6. Will We Have to Stand 6 Feet Apart From Eachother?
This would make catching beads much easier, of course, we could only catch the beads after flashing our vaccination cards.
Is It Likely That Anything Will Actually Ruin Mardi Gras?
This whole list of 'How Could Shreveport Ruin Mardi Gras' is clearly a joke born out of my own anxiety about having events and other things taken away over the past 2 years. However, just to be clear, we've talked to people from the Krewe of Centaur and other organizations who assure us that parades will happen and that Mardi Gras will take place in Shreveport. This list isn't to breed fear or panic, it's to poke fun at some of the things we've ALL experienced over the past couple of years.
And, as Corky Bridges from Centaur told me, they take their role in the community very seriously and will do everything to make this year's carnival season safe for members and revelers alike.