James Allen News Center

New Orleans, LA – This year`s Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans began, as usual, two weeks before the final day of official festivities, Fat Tuesday itself.  Some have said that this is the first year that the celebration isn`t tainted in some way my memories of Hurricane Katrina.  Between the New Orleans Saints winning the Super Bowl a week ago and the rebuilding of the city, people are feeling—for the first time in almost five years—like celebrating.  At Saturday`s Endymion parade, the crowd was at least 20 deep and many had camped out for days to catch some of the finest beads and favors thrown at Mardi Gras.  The Grand Marshal of the parade was announced in the beginning of January: Saints Owner Tom Benson.  From his Vince Lombardi Trophy-themed float, he waved to the jubilant crowd and held up signs, thanking him for not moving the team after Katrina hit.  Also on the float with him were a number of Saints players, throwing beads and joining in the fun.

Fresh from the Saints` Super Bowl win, with images of rings decorated with diamonds upon diamonds dancing in the heads, staff and players were the big stars at the always celebrity-infested events in New Orleans.  Sunday`s Bacchus parade featured Drew Brees, the Saints` Quarterback, as the "King of Bacchus".  That honor has been previously held by Val Kilmer, James Gandolfini, and Hulk Hogan, among many others.  Brees threw more than 10,000 black and gold footballs to the crowd, while dressed in ancient roman garb and riding a float that looked like a chariot.  Surreal?  Yes, but that`s all part of Mardi Gras.  Head Coach Sean Payton was the celebrity Monarch of the Krewe of Orpheus yesterday, riding a float leading to the Orpheuscapade in which Smashmouth, Taylor Dayne, and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performed.  There is no such thing as an odd mix of people at this time of year, when everything strange and magical and bizarre comes together in the biggest party of the year. 

Today, Zulu and Rex roll out first thing in the morning, starting off the actual day of Mardi Gras.  Then come Elks Orleans and Crescent City, the final parades of the day in the city.  That doesn`t mean that the party stops there.  Far from it.  This year will feature the "Bourbocam", a camera that will stream the events on Bourbon Street live from 4pm-midnight, local time.  Anyone who has been to Mardi Gras knows that the party doesn`t stop when the parades do.  The city remains alive at all hours until the last person passes out.  This year, New Orleans has a lot to be proud of, and they are announcing to the world that the Crescent City is BACK.