My only visit to Mardi Gras happened long ago during the last century. This item titled Local photographer captures cleanup of French Quarter in the hours after Mardi Gras Day brought back a couple of memories.
The first memory was a circumstance that should have been frightening, but for the alcohol. After a nighttime parade the crowd was ready to move, and it did. However, any individual within the crowd had no control over which way he/she went. The crowd was packed to tightly that it moved as a single unit. And if you were in it, you went with it whether you wanted to or not.
One sight stood out. One guy in the crowd had somehow worked his way up. Not forward, but up. His head was two or three feet above the crowd, and the crowd was just moving him along. He seemed quite content, but he was actually quite helpless. After seeing that, it was easy to believe any news item about someone being trampled by a crowd. As noted, it should have been scary but for the sedating effect of alcohol.
Speaking of alcohol, Boones Farm wine was a popular drink among parade goers at the time, probably because it was cheap. The alcohol vendors were ready for Mardi Gras, and they sold plenty of it.
The second memory coming to mind was a stroll around the parade area the next morning before the cleaning crews arrived. Empty Boones Farm bottles were everywhere! Glass bottles filled the gutters as far as the eye could see. It was almost as if New Orleans had flooded, not with water, but with empty bottles. It was an amazing sight.
Anyway, happy Mardi Gras!
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