Along Bourbon Street, the flashing blue lights of more police cars than usual cast a strobe effect as music from street drummers, jazz bands, and bar DJs saturates the crisp air. Wide-eyed tourists and locals stroll with boozy drinks in hand yet the energy and mood feels quite sober. It’s been four days since a New Year’s attack in the French Quarter left 14 people dead and a small altar of candles, flowers, and photos of one of the victims sits on the ground in front of a nightclub blasting Juvenile’s classic, “Back That Azz Up.” I rap along and simultaneously bend down to pay my teary-eyed respects.
That juxtaposition perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the city right now for residents like myself: that life, and business, must go on while our collective heart aches, grieving the lives lost when a man intentionally drove his truck into a New Year’s Eve crowd of partygoers in what has been deemed an act of terror.
While the rest of the country is winding down from holiday revelry, January 6 in New Orleans marked the start of Carnival season which culminates with Mardi Gras on March 4, 2025. Santa Claus and candy cane-themed decorations are replaced by king cakes and plastic bead necklaces as weeks of parades, balls, and merrymaking get underway. It’s also when tourism begins to ramp up.
The impact of Mardi Gras on New Orleans’ economy is undeniable. According to a recent Tulane University study, the return on investment is as much as $2.64 for every $1 spent, and the city spent almost $900 million in 2023. Tourism is the largest employer for the city and is the fourth largest industry for the state of Louisiana, adding $2.3 billion to the state’s GDP in 2023. The significant financial outputs do not diminish the cultural significance of the season. It’s not a show put on just for tourists, it’s a celebration of and for the city since the late 1800s . Dozens of krewes (private social clubs that exist to celebrate Carnival) and Black Masking Indians (a cultural tradition of Black New Orleanian groups known for their elaborate suits) prepare for Carnival season and Mardi Gras all year long, and it’s foundational to the spirit of New Orleans.
Because so much of the city’s activities and celebrations take place outdoors, including parades, festivals, and second line processions, security is top of mind for visitors, locals, and of course, law enforcement. After the attack, President Joe Biden classified Mardi Gras as a level one Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR-1) event, meaning there will be more federal resources available from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to ensure public safety. (The Super Bowl always has SEAR-1 status regardless of what city is hosting.) This could look like increased law enforcement presence with explosive-sniffing dogs, and perhaps drone surveillance, and also behind-the-scenes tactical and technological support. Some local advocacy groups are concerned that calls for public safety could be used to justify heightened surveillance, racial profiling, and militarization as was seen after 9/11 in New York.
For security reasons, the New Orleans Police Department and related agencies could not reveal too much of their planning strategy. In a statement to Afar, the New Orleans Police Department Public Affairs team said, “The safety of our community and visitors is our top priority. The NOPD has a comprehensive security plan in place for the Joan of Arc parade and all parades moving forward…While we cannot disclose specific operational details, we want to assure the public that we are fully prepared and working closely with our partners to provide a secure environment.”
The tagline that New Orleans is “built to host” is part of the ethos of New Orleans & Company, the city’s destination marketing organization, which works collaboratively with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies for major events. Over a Zoom call, CEO Walt Leger reflected on the hurt, anger, and sadness our communities currently face while emphasizing the importance of not letting this one evil act overshadow the thousands of safe and joyful days that came before it.
“When you think about just the last 15 to 20 years and the idea that 150 million people or more visited our community in the French Quarter during that time period safely, we don’t want one thing, one day to be so transformative that it takes away the thousands of days that went before it,” said Leger. He feels encouraged by the major conferences and conventions that are still headed to New Orleans in the coming weeks and the organizations’ commitment to supporting New Orleans. Said Leger, “We’re not just built to host when things are perfect, we’re built to host when things get hard, too…we’re the kind of community that just focuses on getting things done but can also balance the need for respect, mourning, and celebration of life at the same time.”
Although residents are still tender, the city’s hospitality industry and culture bearers, including artists and historians, have vocalized their resolve that this act of terror will not break our spirit. Restaurants and businesses like Brechtel Hospitality have been giving thousands of meals to first responders. Second lines still fill the streets, a tradition that’s evolved from jazz funerals, the ultimate celebration of life and death.
The excitement of Carnival season will still bring the city together and showcase its creativity. “I always tell people that New Orleans is beautiful and soulful because of its patina of age, dysfunction, and laissez-faire attitude. The city’s unique flavor comes from its struggles,” said Michael Gulotta, owner of restaurants TANA, Maypop and MoPho. The word “resilient” gets used a lot when referring to the people of this city and while it is arguably true, it’s a loaded term. New Orleans is still a community of people and families; it is more than a tourist destination or playground for visitors.
While major events are big draws for visitors, New Orleans is more than the French Quarter and the Central Business District (where the Superdome is located). If you’re visiting for Carnival season, or any time of year, visitors are encouraged to explore and get to know more of the city and why it’s unlike any other. The adjacent Treme neighborhood is rife with cultural institutions such as the Backstreet Cultural Museum, and the Marigny and Bywater are home to many dives or cocktail bars, as well as funky intimate music venues that showcase some of the city’s best creative talent. The Lower Garden District and Uptown neighborhoods offer historic architecture, and unique boutiques and galleries. You can eat and drink your way throughout the city at locally owned and award-winning restaurants and bars like Dooky Chase or Cure, creating a scavenger hunt for your stomach. It’s more than a party city, the richness of the culture and history are highlighted in walking and biking tours led by riveting local storytellers.
This past weekend, as I walked with friends along Bourbon Street approaching the site of the tragedy, the undeniable sound of trumpets and tubas beckoned us towards a community vigil. Painted messages of love, support, and care from locals and visitors around the world filled the walls on the corner of Canal and Bourbon; wooden crosses with flowers, pictures, and candles lined the sidewalk. (The altars are currently barricaded but still on display.) An emotional procession began, led by a brass band, and the crowd followed walking somberly, dancing, and crying. A friend reminded me that especially in the French Quarter we are often confronted with living amongst death because of the city’s history—centuries of massacres, natural disasters, and pandemics.
Leger reminded me that one of the symbols for Mardi Gras is the Greek masks of comedy and tragedy. “I think if you’re a part of this culture you do recognize that sorrow and joy are very closely linked,” Leger said. “When there is this distinct sorrow that emerges we feel maybe more equipped than anyone to be able to find a way to push through that and I hope that people understand that there’s real respect and dignity in that.” Yet at the same time, the city has been traumatized and people need space to grieve, too. Be kind when you come, reciprocate the love that New Orleans continues to show the world.
