The Freeman reports today that the Mardi Gras parade is cancelled because the Rondout Business Association doesn’t have the funds to pay for insurance and police overtime. The other planned events remain a go.
In the case of the parade, which includes four floats and kids in costume, why not still have it, but create a modified version of it? The parade can line up at lower Broadway right near the Downtown Cafe and proceed West along that service road. One end of the parking lot can be closed off and there could be another barricade on the starting corner.
A few barricades. That’s it. It could function just like the block parties held in Kingston where a street is closed off with barricades. There’s no police presence, and no insurance for block parties, right? And the city regulary closes off streets. For this function, the parade can proceed slowly down a narrow street that opens into a parking lot. Just a throught…
— Arthur Zaczkiewicz
How about a walking krewe or a second line parade??
THE MARDI GRAS, LIKE NEW ORLEASNS, LIVES ON!!! I have been talking to the downtown merchants. The Rondout busness owners had over a thousand dollars invested in this event. All the activities–the mask making, the ice sculptures, the bands and the jugglers, will take place in the insured environment of the Hudson River Maritime Museum.
If you had a costume you wanted to wear in the parade, why not be down at the Maritime Museum about 4:30 tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon? All the spontanious joy and spirit of celebration will be at its peak, and there might be some completely unplanned outpouring of joie de vive…right down the sidewalk toward the parking lot, about 5 p.m..
Thank you, Lei!