NEW ORLEANS – Mayor Cantrell says Jazz Fest might not be the only major cultural event to be canceled because of COVID 19.
In a wide-ranging interview with the Washington Post, Cantrell said that current city discussions include the possibility of canceling next year’s Mardi Gras festivities.
The idea, she told reporter Robert Costa, is “on the table.”
Mardi Gras, itself, cannot be canceled of course. It’s a date on the calendar, like Christmas, that arrives each year whether it is celebrated or not. But in New Orleans, cancelling Mardi Gras parades and other celebrations has been done so rarely that it seems unthinkable.
“It all depends, ” said Cantrell, “on when we reopen the city (and) the steps that we take to reopen.”
Cantrell said that if the reopening of the city takes place “without any regressions, then it puts us closer to being prepared to host Mardi Gras 2021.”
But, she told Costa, “it will give me great pause, right now, before I commit to saying that we’re moving forward with Mardi Gras 2021.”