NEW ORLEANS (NewsNation Now) — If you are planning on heading down to New Orleans for Mardi Gras 2021, you can expect the celebration to look a lot different. No parades will be allowed to roll during carnival due to the coronavirus pandemic, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said.
According to the “Mardi Gras 2021 FAQS” posted on the mayor’s office page of the City of New Orleans website: “The City of New Orleans cannot cancel Mardi Gras because it is a religious Holiday, however we will not be able to celebrate the Holiday this year as we have in the past.”
As for the traditional parades that cruise down the French Quarter, the facts on the website read: “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.”
Cantrell is also asking the community to submit their ideas on how to celebrate the carnival season safely. Those ideas must be submitted via email by Dec. 5, click here for more information.
The first recorded Mardi Gras street parade in New Orleans took place in 1837.
NewsNation affiliate WGNO contributed to this report.