Posted by Fingers on February 17, 2007 at 11:10:27:
The theme this year for Mardi Gras Weekend may be: Will women flash for beads in 34 degree weather? The answer is a resounding YES!
Mardi Gras runs from the 12th day after Christmas (Jan 6th) to Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. The weekend before Fat Tuesday is where all the activity really gets going.
This year many travellers were delayed a day by weather. We got to spend an unexpeted frigid night in Chicago at -2 (and we were dressed for California). For awhile it looked like the unfriendly skies were only going to be able to get us to Shreiveport (a six hour drive away from New Orleans), but at 2 AM on Friday we were finally able to get our reservations back on a New Orleans Flight. I shared my flight with a New Orleans Convention Bureau person who told me that the city has hired a company to constantly clean the French Quarter and that it has NEVER looked cleaner. She was right - even on Burbon Street. That would change by evening end, and I'm curious to see how they keep up with things this weekend. I also shared the flight with the ultra conservative Christians who picket the streets with large banners reading "God Hates (insert gay's, drunks or any other target). It's good to know that they are supporting the largest party on earth with their food purchased during their stay! Looking from the taxi on the way into the city much has improved, and the city looks very normal with many new businesses opening. Our cabbie informed us that it is now primarily the east side of the city (9th ward and others) including many of the poorer areas that is still struggling to recover.
Last year's Katrina Mardi Gras had about 300,000 in attendance, this year is much larger with hotels booked to about 80 percent of capacity.
It was about 4:30 before I actually got on Bourbon Street, and my first picture of a well endowed blond flashing came 60 seconds later. Everyone is dressed for the cold but it didn't seem to slow down the flashing. It was 37 degrees when I went out for the evening shots at and 34 when I stopped at 1
AM. The street was just about as crowded as a normal Mardi Gras Friday night.
The women were definately flashing and in a festive mood. Razoo's seem to be the club of choice in the afternoon, but by evening they were all packed. Club Utopia has a pully system rope going across the club and is promoting "panties across Utopia" where they try to talk women out of their panties (on stage) They had five or six up there late Friday and I witnessed two of them.
Saturday is supposed to make it to the upper 50's with lows back in the 30's and windy. The closer we get to Fat Tuesday, the milder the temperatures are supposed to be, although rain is forcast for Fat Tuesday itself. We'll have to see if that is the case as the weekend progresses.
Fingers