It may be Super Tuesday elsewhere, but in New Orleans, it's Fat Tuesday — Mardi Gras — the third since Hurricane Katrina. And with 12 days of parades and parties, the city is almost as festive as before the storm.
By 8 a.m. Tuesday, hundreds of people were gathering at the corner of Claiborne and Jackson for the start of the Zulu parade.
Larry Roy, resplendent in face paint, red satin coat and headdress, is the Zulu Krewe's Minister of Fun.
And as for any lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina, he said things have gotten better.
"We're back to where we were — even stronger," Roy said.
"We had a lot of members that died during the storm or whatever, we have some that's passing now. But we have a membership that constantly has a waiting list."
Among the krewes, the second lines, and the parade spectators, the topic of Katrina did not come up much.
That was the case even when the parade was opened by New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, riding a horse, dressed in Indian buckskins and a war bonnet.
"Oh yeah, I ride every year," Nagin said.
Vendors were busy along the parade route, hawking their snacks and drinks.
"Hot coffee, hot coffee, bread pudding, red beans and rice, hot dogs," one cried out.
Locals know there are some secrets to Mardi Gras. The first is to know where to find a bathroom close to the parade route. But another is how to get really good loot — the beads, cups, and trinkets the krewes throw from the floats.
Suzanne Stookey had an ace in the hole: two cute kids. Jack, 6, and Austin, 3, were perched securely in a box fastened on top of a stepladder, the better to see and be seen by those throwing goodies from the floats.
There is one more important tip shared by longtime Zulu krewe member Kevin Thomas. To get through 12 days of parades and parties, he said, you have to pace yourself.
"Well, you slow your roll," Thomas said. "[You] sip, you don't drink."
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