1. Stake out your spot on one of the many parade routes early, but not too early, or the police will send you home. Mark your territory. Bring lawn chairs.
2. Be sure that your spot has easy access to a toilet. Police are hard-core about issuing public urination tickets.
3. Don't wear all the beads you get around your neck. If you get too many, you could choke yourself and have to get them removed in the emergency room. It happens every year. Instead, take a bag with you to collect your goodies.
4. Don't over do it. There are numerous parades every day leading up to Mardi Gras. Too many can wear you out too early.
5. Don't try to get around the city by car. Ride your bike or walk. The streets are too full to use a car. In addition, don't move your car the day before the Endymion parade (the one that goes by our house) because you'll never get your parking space back.
While technically not a parade but certainly an element of them, we recently saw our first second line. It was at the art museum, a short walk from our place. It was a true New Orleanian moment.
This was the krewe (not sure which one) before they started. Once they started, another group of trumpets and trombones came from the other side of the park to join. Then the guys with feathers did an interactive sort of dance with feathers everywhere.
I am guessing we'll see much more of this as Mardi Gras approaches. Next weekend we are going to our very first parade, Krewe du Vieux. It's a satirical parade and there are no holds barred, from what I understand. Jeanne was telling us that the best Krewe du Vieux parade was after Katrina because there was so much fodder for satire.
It's time for bed. Wish I could write more!
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2 comments:
VERY COOL! I'm so glad you have this blog. I love your perspective on the HS Marching Bands. Yes, selling chocolate bars is enticing, but not as enriching as this. Looking forward to seeing more photos from the week ahead. <3 Hansa
Awesome. I was always in band, too. We'd go on practice marches, too...but just through certain streets in the outskirts of Mount Horeb. Oh, and I did the candy bar + giftwrap + fruit fundraisers too. :-) Was never in a major parade like Mardi Gras, though!
Actually--and maybe oddly--what this post reminds me most of is Bali. There are numerous religious parades there almost daily. On more than one occasion I'd hear (and run to go see) parades going right past my host family's compound.
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