$1,000 ladder fines, band stop ban and other Mardi Gras changes
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Marching bands won't be able to stop a moving parade to perform starting in 2027. Photo: Michael DeMocker/Getty Images
Hang on to your Jell-O shots: New Orleans just passed new rules for Mardi Gras that'll adjust how the city celebrates Carnival in 2027.
Why it matters: Mardi Gras is the city's most well-known celebration, but house rules still apply.
The new changes, which City Council unanimously approved Thursday, include:
- An increase to $1,000 for fines on ladder violations and placing portable toilets on the route. Violations would also now qualify as criminal misdemeanors.
- Extending pre-parade no-parking zones from two hours to four hours.
- A restriction on marching bands, which will no longer be able to stop a moving parade to perform.
- A requirement that vehicle krewes, like the Shriners, ride at least two abreast down the route. Parades will also be limited to a max of three vehicle-based krewes.
- A ban on smoking and vaping on floats.
- A ban on glass throws, with an exception for lighter-weight beads, and a ban on throws containing alcohol, including Jell-O shots and beer funnels.
- A requirement that float riders wear safety harnesses and keep both feet on the float at all times.
- A ban on throws heavier than 3-1/2 pounds, which is aimed at clamping down on the relatively new trend of using small appliances as throws.
- Some changes on parade routes and times to consolidate the revelry.
The legislation also adjusts the rules around how branded items are repackaged as throws, allowing some logos and trademarks.
- Branded items have traditionally been banned under the city's restriction on Mardi Gras advertising and commercialization, but the new rules bring the regulations up to speed with recent trends toward more environmentally-friendly reusable and edible throws.
Between the lines: Several changes, including the shift on parade times and marching band stops, came at NOPD's request to support efforts to limit overtime and streamline krewes' treks down the route.
- The weight limit on throws and a ban of glass on floats were also based on safety concerns, City Council President JP Morrell said Thursday.
- As for the fines and criminalization of certain route offenses, Morrell said, "people were basically just throwing [the previous infractions] in the trash. Having a misdemeanor criminal offense with increased fines ... will lead to people making better decisions."