Parades
are cancelled on land, but this February 13, a krewe of floating floats plan to
proceed on the waterways. The Krewe of Tickfaw has chosen their king, queen,
and "Rat Pack" theme and is moving forward with their celebration. What's more,
Tickfaw is inviting anyone with a boat to join in. Their Facebook post from
January 24 is an open call for 10 a.m. on parade day. All that's needed is for
captains to attend the captains' meeting at Riverside Marina in Killian with
$30 for the entry fee—and you're in.
Tickfaw's
parade will go down the Tickfaw and Blood Rivers. Their audience is made up of
people dining at Tin Lizzy, Boopalu's, and Warsaw, or residents of the houses
and camps along the waterfront. This year, parade organizer Christina Pierce
recommends that those interested in catching the action go to one of those
three restaurants/bars, but she also noted that they will be under restrictions
in the ongoing effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.
Pierce
is unsure about how many boats will show for the parade. Planning ahead was
always difficult because of the weather. She won't have the full headcount
until the captain's meeting, but if all goes well, she's expecting about 30 to 40
boats this year. "I've had a really, really good response from Endymion,
Spanish Town, plus a bunch of people who've been seeing what's going on," she
said.
It's
no surprise to hear that a krewe from New Orleans is interested. In November, a
FAQs page from the Mayor's Office informed the city of New Orleans that no
parades would be permitted for Mardi Gras. Despite projections of COVID-19
continuing to be a concern through the upcoming Carnival season, people held
out hope. That hope was capsized by a faceless, online Q & A. It was a
necessary call, but the way it was done wasn't a good look.
Up
to that point, Mayor LaToya Cantrell had been holding regular press conferences
to explain coronavirus updates. But when it came time to break the news about
Mardi Gras—New Orleans's most sensationally cherished holiday—the city's
leadership went with posting six FAQs online. It lacked the flourish of Martin
Luther nailing his thesis on the Castle Church. The most astonishing part of
the news was the fact that the krewes didn't see it coming. Chad Calder at NOLA.com wrote that "this was news to
local krewe leaders who had been part of a discussion with the mayor's office
about how Mardi Gras 2021 would be handled due to the coronavirus."
Representatives from Zulu and Endymion confirmed to Calder that they got the
news at the same time as everyone else.
Parades
draw crowds, and crowds are what we want to avoid in a pandemic. Krewe of
Tickfaw is promising to be safe and socially distanced, just continue to be
careful—especially after your favorite Mardi Gras cocktail puts you in a
carefree mood.
