New Orleans parades to be "a light in the darkness" after terror attack
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Students from the International School of Louisiana participate in the Joan of Arc procession in 2023. Photo: Kaitlyn Morris/Getty Images
New Orleans residents will hit the streets this weekend as a second-line is set to step out on Sunday and the annual parades marking the end of Christmas and the beginning of the Mardi Gras season roll on Monday.
Why it matters: With an unprecedented level of law enforcement in New Orleans after the New Year's Day terror attack on Bourbon Street, Gov. Jeff Landry and Mayor LaToya Cantrell underscored their belief Thursday that the city is a safe place to be.
The latest: "The NOPD has resumed normal police operations to manage traffic and street closures in the French Quarter and along Bourbon Street," department communications director Reese Harper said in a statement Friday.
- But the department has increased its security presence, the spokesman said, which "will continue daily, not just during large events."
- The department plans to share details about additional safety measures, such as road closures, during major events like Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 and Mardi Gras, but won't include "specific details about operational plans" in an effort to protect the integrity of our security efforts."
Context: The 42-year-old Texas man who used a rented truck early Wednesday to kill 14 people and injure at least another 35 acted alone, the FBI said Thursday.
- "We do not assess at this point that anyone else is involved in this attack except Jabbar," said FBI Deputy Assistant Director of Counterintelligence Christopher Raia in a press conference.
Zoom in: The Perfect Gentlemen Social Aid and Pleasure Club is set to step out Sunday at noon. WWOZ has the route.
- Second-lines are permitted and escorted by the NOPD, and since a mass shooting in November, have usually also had drone support to monitor the crowds.
- "We usually have more than normal for the second-line because we have kids," Crescent City Steppers president Cory James told Axios New Orleans. The group second-lines with the Perfect Gentlemen. "So far, everything is going ahead. The city hasn't said anything about rescheduling."
Next, Monday marks 12th Night and the official end of the Christmas holiday season. With that, the city turns its attention to celebrating Carnival, which culminates on Mardi Gras, this year, on March 4.
- Multiple parades are scheduled that night (see below), including the Societé Jeanne d'Arc (Joan of Arc).
- "Our plans have not changed," said Jeanne d'Arc co-captain Antoinette De Alteriis. "We look to Joan's inspiration as a light in the darkness and intend to be that in a city focused on cultural and creative identity and French heritage."
Here's the parade schedule for Monday:
- Société Des Champs Elysée, 5pm, French Quarter.
- Joan of Arc, 7pm, French Quarter.
- Phunny Phorty Phellows, 7pm, followed by the Funky Uptown Krewe, St. Charles Avenue streetcar line.
Go deeper: New Orleans' Mardi Gras 2025 parade schedule
Editor's note: This story has been updated with NOPD comment.