Mardi Gras in New Orleans is a time for no-holds-barred celebration — but the holiday also sparks fears over crime and fatalities, considering past years’ deaths. Each spring, over 1 million visitors flock to New Orleans for Carnival, more than quadrupling the city’s population in a manner of days. Mardi Gras in New Orleans is considered a SEAR 1 event, which is a rating of special events based on risk-assessment, meaning that the event will receive federal interagency support.. The city of “Mardi Gras 2025 is going to be the safest ever.” Gov. Jeff Landry also declared a state of emergency to allow for the utilization of all available state resources ahead of last week’s Sugar Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the culmination of Carnival season, which officially begins each year on Jan. 6, the 12th day after Christmas, and closes with the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras Drunk Driving Accidents in New Orleans. Sadly, alcohol is involved in over 30% of all fatal car accidents. The New Orleans police department has its hands full right now as public intoxication arrests and DWI charges spike during Mardi Gras. Louisiana Mardi Gras DWI arrests peaked in 2009, reaching nearly 32,000 that season. Mardi Gras is the third big test for New Orleans since the horrific Jan. 1 truck-ramming and shooting rampage on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter was allegedly carried out by a 42-year-old U By the numbers: 600 NOPD officers are being dedicated to Mardi Gras operations, along with 150 Louisiana state troopers. Hundreds of other officers are coming in from 25 agencies across the state. Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is the culmination of Carnival season, which officially begins each year on Jan. 6, the 12th day after Christmas, and closes with the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. New Orleans now faces safety concerns for two major upcoming events, Super Bowl LIX and Mardi Gras. Authorities at the scene of an attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans on January 1. Some Mardi Gras parades are banning one of their most colorful traditions - tossing out plastic beads. Organizers are trying to cut down on the millions of pounds of trash they make each year. Mardi Gras to a local is all about parades, historic rituals, having fun, and partiestons of parties. To do Mardi gras like a local, here are our suggestions of dos and don’ts. 1. Don’t Buy Beads If you’re coming to town for the first time, don’t buy beads. FILE – Revelers throw beads from balconies in the rain during Mardi Gras festivities in the French Quarter in New Orleans, March 4, 2014. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) Rest assured, the City has a team of security experts who have thought of everything they can to make Mardi Gras 2018 as safe as possible. To learn more about steps that have been taken to ensure the safety of our guests during Carnival season, read this press release from the City of New Orleans. Understanding local rules is vital for a responsible and secure Mardi Gras experience. Non-compliance with Mardi Gras regulations can lead to fines, legal ramifications, and disruption of the festivities. Understanding Parade Routes and Areas. New Orleans comes alive during Mardi Gras with a multitude of parades winding through the city’s Click on the Mardi Gras krewes below for further information about the krewe and to see their usual route for each parade. Please note: Events and activities are subject to change without notice. Stay tuned to the site for further info. Mardi Gras is dangerous if you are oblivious, drunk, and not prepared. It is also very fun. I am assuming French Quarter Mardi Gras not outside neighborhoods, Galveston, or Mobile. You do not go alone. If you can I strongly advise staying in a hotel within walking distance of anywhere you want to go. While Mardi Gras has a somewhat seedy reputation, that misconception is largely fueled by drunken and misbehaved tourists unaccustomed to New Orleans' special brand of partying. First off, Mardi Gras, French for "Fat Tuesday" is actually just one day, the culmination of a month-long Carnival Season. It's also a statewide public holiday in tempting targets for burglars during the Mardi Gras Season, especially during parade time. • Take measures to secure personal property, specifically locking doors and windows to the house and garage. • It is a good idea to leave lights and a radio on. • Inform reliable neighbors of a planned absence and The Mardi Gras Indians have become a central part of the city's celebrations, but there was a time when residents found them mysterious and outsiders even considered them dangerous. The weekend before Mardi Gras all the action is on this route, but Lundi and Mardi Gras most of the action is downtown. Uptown parades (the ones on St. Charles) are the ones with the big elaborate floats that throw all the beads, downtown parades (usually start in the Marigny but go through parts of the French Quarter, Treme and Bywater) are
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