First Mardi Gras Krewe to Cancel 2021 Parade Roll Due to Pandemic
Canceled. One of the most used words in 2020. I think a lot of us thought by now it was a word we could put to rest for a while. But, it still keeps popping up. Although school is back in session, festivals, and many other 4th quarter events for 2020 have decided to cancel due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. I think many are curious to see how the Mardi Gras 2021 season will play out. The Krewe of Oshun has become the first to announce a Mardi Gras parade cancellation for 2021. According to Nola.com, the Krewe Captain, Henry Smith, said the members were nervous about the spread of the coronavirus and they were reluctant to commit to the parade.
Like many organizations, they didn’t make a decision until they entered Phase 3 so that they would have more information to assess the possibility of the parade. Smith said parade planning begins months in advance and time was running out.
Although it is a big year for the Krewe of Oshun since 2021 is their 25th anniversary, Smith said they decided to postpone the celebration until 2022 instead of having a “skimpy” parade. The Krewe of Oshun historically kicks off the New Orleans parading season with its Friday night parade down St. Charles Avenue. It was scheduled for February 5th.
Will this be the first of many cancellations for Mardi Gras 2021? Will this be the first of other events scheduled in 2021? When will we get back to normal? All of these are questions many of us have.