The question of will there be any Mardi Gras parades this year appears to have been answered on the Mayor's Office website -- "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"
This week, the Mayor's site said Mardi Gras was "not cancelled, just different" and asked citizens for ideas to celebrate safely. One of the criteria for submitting an idea was to "clearly indicate how you will prevent unstructured crowds of strangers," which is exactly what happens when you hold a parade.
This wouldn't be a first for New Orleans. Parades have been cancelled in the past for a police strike (1979), yellow fever (1879), and during WWI and WWII.
In Mobile (the birthplace of Mardi Gras), several organizations have announced plans to cancel 2021 parades, including the Polka Dots, Crew of Columbus, Conde Explorers, and Dauphin Island's Krewe de la Dauphine.
(Photo: Getty Images)