Well this past weekend felt like Mardi Gras II in New Orleans. The high hotel occupancy that started during carnival continued and huge crowds showed up for both the Metairie Irish-Italian Parade and the Italian-American Marching Club St. Joseph’s Day parade .
Then throughout the weekend the various Mardi Gras Indian gangs were forming in their neighborhoods culminating in the Super Sunday parade which features the meeting of all the tribes in a community parade.
So are we ready for some time off? Please.
This weekend we host the Sweet 16 South East Regional playoffs for the NCAA basketball tourney. The NFL owners are in town for their annual Scrooge McDuck Money Count meeting as is the Council on Litigation Management … lawyers and claims reps and adjusters, oh my!
And starting today, the French Quarter is host to the annual Tennessee Williams Festival.
The latter features some great panel discussions including two bestselling Irish crime novelists John Connolly and Declan Hughes discuss their “Ten Mysteries You Must Read Before You Die.” in which they name local icon James Lee Burke the top living mystery writer. And it also includes one of my favorite events of the entire year, the Stella Yella contest during which contestants in Jackson Square re-enact the famous scene from Streetcar Named Desire with Marlon Brando as Stanley standing under Stella’s balcony screaming her name. It’s a must see!!
And this is the last week of the race season at the Fairgrounds Race Track, featuring the 98th running of the Louisiana Derby, which can mean just one thing.
ONLY 34 DAYS TO JAZZ FEST!!!!!!!!
