For all my abitadeacon friends I wanted to give you a little flavor of New Orleans. First of all, she is alive and well and is very much above water(at least for now). Just 7 years after Hurricane Katrina she continues to be the Mardi Gras capital of the world. This year only a vibrant and alive city like New Orleans can pull off this three week extravaganza of Mardi Gras + Super Bowl = more Mardi Gras.
Tonight, as Super Bowl teams are landing at our airport, the city and the surrounding suburbs are putting to bed a celebration that included dozens of Mardi Gras parades and countless Mardi Gras theme related parties, coronation balls and a French Quarter that truly never sleeps. As this first weekend of parades ends, the city made the decision that no parades would occur this week and on Super Bowl weekend. All her focus will be on Super Bowl 47 with the fans of Baltimore and San Francisco descending on the Crescent City. Now if these already hyped to the max football fanatics want a taste of Mardi Gras they will not have to venture far. While New Orleans has already paraded the traditional first week parades, the very close suburbs have left some of the big fun for next weekend. In fact, in next door Jefferson Parish they will celebrate Family Gras and then shut down to celebrate the Super Bowl.
Understand this; once the final play is done and a champion crowned, as the Lombardi Trophy is hoisted, New Orleans will take a deep breath, flip a switch and transition to Mardi Gras mania for the following 7 days. From the time the fans flock back home, Mardi Gras festivities will continue to the big climax of the huge super krewes next weekend and Mardi Gras Day, which does not happen to Tuesday, February 12th.
Last night, after visiting a sick relative across the river from downtown New Orleans, I could see the city in all her glory; Jackson Square and the St. Louis Cathedral was awash in lights, the Lombardi Trophy rose 30 stories over the Superdome on a nearby hotel, the Dome and the Arena were all lit up. New Orleans looks great!
You know the New Orleans community never failed to pull off a Mardi Gras even the one just a few months after Katrina. This will be our 1st SuperBowl since Katrina and I have ever reason to believe the party will be her best. By the way. this is the 10th time New Orleans has hosted a SuperBowl. In my humble opinion it should be here every year, but if not, at least every three years.
Don't forget, New Orleans and the whole surrounding community is open for business while all of this goes on. We work, we go to school, we attend Mass, we deal with our problems, we celebrate our uniquenes.
Celebrate New Orleans too; she is alive and well and throwing the biggest three-week party in the history of the world!
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