NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans’ annual Carnival season entered its ebullient crescendo Tuesday with thousands of revelers gathering in the French Quarter and lining miles of parade routes in a citywide Mardi Gras celebration underpinned this year by violent crime concerns and political turmoil.
Celebrations began before dawn in some parts of the city. TV crews captured images of The North Side Skull and Bones gang — skeleton-costumed revelers — spreading out through the Treme area to awaken people for Mardi Gras. As the sun rose, peaking through breaks in the cloudy sky, parade watchers were already claiming spots along the St. Charles Avenue parade route. Barbecue smells wafted through the Central Business District.
Revelers were undeterred by violence that marred a glitzy weekend parade. Gunfire that broke out during a parade Sunday night left a teenager dead and four others injured, including a 4-year-old girl. Police quickly arrested Mansour Mbodj, 21, for illegally carrying a weapon, then upgraded the charge to second-degree murder.
People are also reading…
Officials stressed Monday that the shooting was an isolated event.
“It’s discouraging, but it’s not going to stop me from coming,” said Roz Walker, 55. She and her friend Tracy Dunbar are Baton Rouge residents who were among the crowd awaiting the parades of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club and the Rex Organization. They have been visiting New Orleans on Mardi Gras for decades.
“In our 40-plus years of coming to Mardi Gras we’ve never been involved in a situation at all,” she said.
First-time Mardi Gras participant Ken Traylor of Houston had heard about the shooting, but shrugged it off. “I just think you have to be careful with your surroundings,” he said. “Things happen nowadays everywhere.”
Crime has contributed to dissatisfaction with New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. She won reelection easily in 2021, but has suffered myriad political problems since, including criticism about crime, the slow pace of major street repairs and questions over her personal use of a city-owned French Quarter apartment.
A recall petition launched last year is nearing a Wednesday deadline. One of the organizers, Eileen Carter, said she believes the movement has enough signatures, but will make a last-minute push.
“We’re going to have people canvassing the parade routes,” Carter said. “That’s been really helpful to us.”
There was no sign of political rancor as Cantrell watched St. Charles Avenue parades from a restricted access reviewing stand with city council members in front of Gallier Hall, the 19th century Greek Revival style building that once served as City Hall. She greeted Zulu’s parade leaders with hearty shouts of “Hail Zulu!” in a traditional mayoral tribute.
It was in stark contrast to a scene from the weekend when Cantrell was captured in a social media video gesturing with her middle-finger as a parade passed a city reviewing stand. What sparked the gesture was unclear. The mayor’s press office did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. A statement given to The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate shed little light.
“Mardi Gras is a time where satire and jest are on full display,” spokesperson Gregory Joseph said in a prepared statement. “The city has been enjoying a safe and healthy Carnival,” the statement said, adding that the mayor was looking forward to continuing the celebration.
Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the culmination of Carnival season, which officially begins each year on Jan. 6, the 12th day after Christmas, and closes with the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.
New Orleans’ raucous celebration is the nation’s most well-known, but the holiday is also celebrated throughout much of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. Mobile, Alabama, lays claim to the oldest Mardi Gras celebration in the country.
How to plan a year of wild human experiences, from Rio's Carnival to Nevada's Burning Man
Timkat Festival, Ethiopia
When: Jan. 18-19
What it is: For what feels like a step back in time, it's worth planning a trip to this centuries-old religious festival in Ethiopia at the start of the year. Celebrated countrywide by Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, Timkat commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan by John the Baptist through reenactment. The festivities begin with parades as Orthodox priests in colorful garments, complete with umbrellas and replicas of the Ark of the Covenant in hand, walk the streets as they chant and pray to the sound of traditional drums. The celebrations always take place near a main body of water — from a river to a pool — that is blessed before believers step into it as symbolic renewal of their baptism vows. The most popular cities for witnessing Timket are Addis Ababa, Gondar and Lalibela.
How far ahead you need to plan: Airfare and hotels book up quickly; Ethiopians expatriates tend to return for the yearend holidays and stay on for this vibrant festivity. Book your airfare and rooms at least six months in advance, or a package tour, to get the best rates.
How you get there: Fly into Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, which is well connected globally via Ethiopian Airlines and major carriers. Catch an internal Ethiopian Airlines flight to Gondar or Lalibela if you’re attending the festival in one of these smaller historic cities. A packaged tour is highly recommended so the logistics of the event will be worked out in advance, including airport pickup.
Where you should stay: In Addis Ababa, the Sheraton Addis Luxury Collection is a favorite. In Gondar, the hilltop Goha Hotel offers splendid views over the city, as does the Maribela Hotel in Lalibela.
Travel agencies that can help: Ethiopian Holidays by Ethiopian Airlines offers packages, or book through Absolute Ethiopia Tours.
La Tomatina, near Valencia, Spain
When: Aug. 30
What it is: This massive tomato fight is celebrated every last Wednesday of August in the small town of Buñol, approximately 25 miles west of Valencia, and dates back to 1945 even if its origin is unclear. By around 9 a.m., head to Buñol’s main square, where people begin to gather for a game of climbing a pole to grab the ham on top. If someone reaches it, the tomato fight begins; if no one does before 11 a.m., a cannon will fire and a truck packed with near-rotten tomatoes will dump them into the streets. People will jump into the trucks or stand around them, grabbing and hurling tomatoes at anyone they spot. Expect several hours of fruit flying about, as well as water hoses spraying the crowd. A final shot sounds to indicate the official end of La Tomatina.
How far ahead you need to plan: Hotels sell out early for this popular festival, so you’ll want to book rooms in Valencia — close enough for a day trip. The same goes for tickets to enter La Tomatina: Admission is capped at 20,000 participants, so keep an eye on the website and purchase online as soon as they’re released. How you get there: A day trip to Valencia by train or bus can have you back in the afternoon; you can opt for transport to be included in your ticket. For a fuller experience, you could stay in Buñol for a few days to witness the related festivities, including a paella competition — after all, Valencia is the dish’s birthplace—on the eve of La Tomatina. Your children could join a 40-minute kid version of La Tomatina, which takes place a week earlier. An after-party follows La Tomatina, if you’re still looking for one.
Where you should stay: The historic beachfront Hotel Las Arenas Balneario in historic Valencia is a popular pick that would let you indulge at its sprawling spa after the fruit throwing, or take a beach walk or poolside nap. The hotel is a short walk from the city’s central Old Town. Also in Valencia, Palaioi Valler is a former 19th century mansion-turned-glamorous 31-room hotel that’s home to a bar-museum paying homage to the city’s craftsmanship in glass and ceramics and offering a rooftop view of the city.
Travel agencies that can help: Totally Spain.
Día de Los Muertos, Mexico
When: Nov. 1-2
What it is: Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations are rooted in Aztec tradition and take place around the country, with Mexico City and Oaxaca topping the list of places to visit. This Unesco-recognized Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is a time when Mexicans gather to celebrate the departed. Nov. 1 is for remembering departed kids, and Nov. 2 for the souls of adults, when families gather at cemeteries with offerings of flowers, music and food to honor loved ones who have passed away. It’s not a time of mourning or fear but focuses on color and joy in the memories that remain. Festivities begin a few days earlier with weekend parades, so come before Nov. 1. Expect to see and partake in the painting with make-up of sugar skulls and faces called La Calavera—an artistic rendering of your face to resemble a skull in celebration of the cycle of life and death—and witness altars decorated with candy skulls, marigold flowers and photos of loved ones and their favorite foods.
How you get there: Fly into Mexico City, or head to Oaxaca.Where you should stay: Stay at the St. Regis Mexico City or Quinta Real Oaxaca in the historic center.
Travel agencies that can help: Numerous tour operators offer group visits. Try Goway Travel for an agency or Travelworld International Group, a Virtuoso agency based in California.
For sale: Tucson's Park Place mall