New Orleans: Big Love for the Big Easy

I scored some free tickets to the NCAA ‘March Madness’ tournament from work, so my friend and I decided to head down to the Big Easy to watch some basketball and check out the city.

I thought that since we were arriving shortly after Mardi Gras that we had missed the party. We hadn’t. The city is in constant celebration, no matter what time of year you go. We arrived the evening before St. Patrick’s Day and were told that the Irish holiday is generally a week- long celebration. We decided to get in the spirit and pick up some costumes for the festivities. We waded through novelty stores selling beads, boas, voodoo dolls, hot sauce, Cajun spice and Saints gear to find some “Kiss me I’m Irish” t-shirts, yellow wigs, green beads, and gold and green makeup . After gearing up we headed to a crowded (and very green) Bourbon Street just as the parade started. The first in the procession were mini roadsters driven by elderly Irish men throwing beads and flowers in return for kisses from young ladies. These were followed by floats patched together with canvas and green streamers, which were operated by a bunch of leprechauns playing music, dancing and throwing beads and cabbage to the crowd. I incurred a minor bead injury to the face, but brushed it off as part of the experience. More floats and roadsters crept by as the night went on with less and less affiliation to the Irish ... but that really didn’t matter. The whole street was electric with excitement (it didn’t hurt that it’s legal to drink in the street, which always makes leprechauns and the elderly more entertaining). The bizarre nature of the spectacle and the infectious energy of the crowd made it the most fun and entertaining parade I’ve been to. The atmosphere is so relaxed and uninhibited you can’t help but get carried away in the fun ... and people definitely do. I would suggest New Orleans as your next vacation destination; with tourism down you can get some amazing deals and I guarantee you will have a fantastic time.