Which New Orleans mayor prohibited parades during the 2021 Carnival season?

Mayor LaToya Cantrell prohibited New Orleans Mardi Gras parades during the 2021 Carnival season.

The decision came amid the COVID-19 pandemic, when city officials feared that large parades could become superspreader events. On November 17, 2020, Cantrell’s communications director announced that parades would not be permitted during the 2021 season. The policy was framed as a safety measure rather than a cancellation of Mardi Gras itself.

The distinction mattered because Mardi Gras is also a religious observance and could not simply be abolished. Krewes canceled or reworked other events, while residents created “house floats,” decorating homes to replace the spectacle normally seen on parade routes.

Another common mix-up is the separate set of restrictions announced in February 2021. Cantrell ordered bars to close around Mardi Gras and restricted alcohol sales and access to parts of the French Quarter. Parades returned in 2022, though with pandemic-related precautions and modified routes.