Mayor LaToya Cantrell has told New Orleans that Mardi Gras will return to the city in 2022, but just how it will look during another pandemic year was uncertain until Tuesday, when she announced altered parade routes.
“The big news and the best news is that Mardi Gras is returning to the city of New Orleans and to the world in 2022,” Cantrell said. “It is happening. This is huge for our people and our city.”
Cantrell floated the idea of moving some or all parades to one route in October due to a lack of available first responders. During a press conference Tuesday, officials said parades would not be moved from their original route or traditional day — the routes are just slightly tweaked.
Here’s what Mardi Gras will look like:
- Parades that start in Uptown and Riverside will begin at Napoleon and Prytania.
- Parades that typically begin at Napoleon and South Saratoga will instead start at Carondelet and Napoleon.
- Endymion will remain mostly the same, except it won’t go past Gallier Hall.
- Zulu will roll down the same route it did in 2020, when the krewe’s route was modified due to the Hard Rock Hotel collapse.
- Rex will instead start at Carondelet and Napoleon.
That means streets that typically see parade traffic, like Tchoupitoulas and Magazine, will not be included in routes during Carnival 2022.
New Orleans Police Chief Shaun Ferguson said that the new routes will feature “officers on every block.”
“These adjustments are temporary,” Ferguson said, who noted that parade routes are something officials will look at every year depending on staffing issues. “We believe we have developed a coverage plan that will provide safety for our citizens and guests as well.”
Cantrell and Ferguson celebrated the fact that they were able to keep parades that don’t typically go down the St. Charles route, like Endymion, rolling down their traditional routes.
The only modification to Endymion’s route is that it will not toast at Gallier Hall, but Cantrell said an alternate toasting point, possibly on public property on Loyola Avenue, will be announced at a later date.
