After Tragedies, New Orleans Celebrates End of Carnival

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Revelers dressed in costumes and reaching for beads thrown from floats took to the streets as Carnival season reached its peak, their celebration tinged with grief after two paradegoers in New Orleans were hit and killed by floats in the run-up to Fat Tuesday.

In the Central City neighborhood, dozens of members of the Zulu parade marched down the street in their costumes followed by a marching band to kick off the day's parades. Thousands of people lined the streets, dressed in the Mardi Gras colors of purple, green and gold, standing or sitting in lawn chairs, eating food and talking to friends and neighbors.

In front of Sadie's Beauty Salon on Jackson Avenue, Keitra Boutan stood with her daughter.

When asked if she had any concerns about safety in light of the two people who died after getting hit by floats, she said she was always worried about that.

"That has always been my No. 1 rule: Don't run up to the floats," she said while keeping an eagle eye on her daughter.

Carnival season began Jan. 6 and ends Fat Tuesday after weeks of Mardi Gras parades, balls and merriment. This season's festivities have been marred by the deaths of the two people killed at separate New Orleans-area parades in recent days.

Last Wednesday as thousands of people gathered to watch the all-female Krewe of Nyx parade, a woman was killed after being struck by a float. Witnesses told news outlets Geraldine Carmouche, 58, of New Orleans tried to cross between two parts of a tandem float and tripped over a hitch connecting the sections. Tandem floats are multiple floats pulled by one tractor.

Then on Saturday night during the Endymion parade — one of the biggest and glitziest parades every year — a man out watching on Canal Street was hit and killed by a float, also a tandem. He was identified as Joseph Sampson, 58, of New Orleans.

Following the deaths, the city announced a ban on tandem floats for the rest of the season. Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said Monday said he's not blaming the parade groups or tandem floats for the deaths. But he stood by his decision to bar the multipart floats for the last few days of the parade season. He said representatives from parade krewes, police and city officials will meet this week or next to discuss safety issues surrounding the parades.

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras season is usually a time of frivolity and fun as thousands of people swarm into the streets of New Orleans and other cities and towns in southern Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. Theirs is an annual tradition of watching parades, partying and hanging out with family and friends.

Among Tuesday's revelers was Moriah Stern, dressed as a "trash tree" in a brown top and pants adorned with leaves, beads and a flattened beer can. She and Michael Lahargoue and others were riding the ferry from New Orleans' Algiers neighborhood to Canal Street.

"We don't have water in New Mexico, so this is a treat," Lahorgoue said.

Not far from them, Andrew Sullivan of New Orleans wore a shark costume to go along with the little shark bicycle helmet worn by son Finn, 2, who was strapped into a seat on his father's bicycle.

"You ready for some parades?" he asked before riding off.

The festivities get an early start on Fat Tuesday.

Families gather to watch the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club parade on the main route down St. Charles Avenue, followed by the Rex Parade and then two more parades. In the French Quarter, people from all walks of life dress up in elaborate costumes and take to the streets to see and be seen.

Once the parades are over, the action shifts to the French Quarter's more raucous Bourbon Street.

Every year at midnight, police ride on horseback to ceremonially "clear" the street although partying continues long past that. Then comes Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent and a time for many Christians to fast and reflect ahead of Easter.