with Bob WarrenIt seems every couple of months video surfaces of a huge crowd, often filled with maskless people, partying on Bourbon Street or some other street nearby. It happened again over the weekend, when social media began pinging with video of a big group on Bourbon Street. And it prompted another terse response from City Hall. “Unacceptable,” New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s office said. Parades have been canceled this Mardi Gras because of the pandemic. But it makes you wonder if the crowds will stay away from the French Quarter on Mardi Gras. Meanwhile, one of the alternatives to actual parades, the house floats, continues to be, well, huge. Latest count: There are 3,000 of them, spreading across the metro New Orleans area, several states and even into other countries. Now you can track ‘em all with a map provided by Krewe of House Floats. 3,000!! Good luck seeing all of them... And while we’re talking Mardi Gras, here’s another plug for “Mardi Gras For All Y’all,” a free, online event airing Feb. 12-14. It’s presented by NOLA.com and Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World. Finally, New Orleans government seems to be forging ahead on a proposal to move City Hall to the vacant Municipal Auditorium. Contributing writer Mike Scott notes that it’s happened before – decades ago when city government vacated Gallier Hall and consolidated a lot of operations are present-day City Hall. Good stuff today, eh? We've got a lot more on NOLA.com. If you're not a subscriber but would like to become one, we have an offer for you. BW |