New Orleans Mayor Cancels Mardi Gras Parades In 2021

Parades will be prohibited at New Orleans' Mardi Gras celebration in 2021 to limit the spread of the coronavirus, Mayor LaToya Cantrell's office said Tuesday.

Typically marked by parades and parties, the holiday is the city's biggest tourism draw.

"Mardi Gras ... [is] a season of traditions that we celebrate every year, a time that the community comes together in formal, fun, and often unexpected ways," the mayor's office said in a statement. "With COVID-19 cases increasing around the country, we will have to modify how to observe carnival season ... We are surrounded by hot spots and we don't know what the future holds in store for us."

The mayor's move comes after the Krewe du Vieux, one of the city's most popular Carnival organizations, announced last week that it would not parade in 2021.

Cantrell's office is turning to the public for ideas about how to safely celebrate the holiday. They're asking people to submit detailed plans for socially-distanced celebrations with safety protocols built in.

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