For decades, Arthur Hardy has been as synonymous with Mardi Gras as almost Rex himself. But this coming Mardi Gras, the carnival expert and founder of the parade guide that bears his name will retire.
“I’m 79. I’ll be 80 next year and at some point, you’ve got to leave the party. We figured our 50th anniversary Mardi Gras Guide was as good a time as any,” Hardy said.
Hardy says he’s at peace with his decision, and he has lots of post-retirement plans.
“A little bittersweet, but mostly sweet. I want to spend time traveling with my wife, and we have four grandchildren; two of them who live in Oslo, Norway,” Hardy said.
Hardy launched the Mardi Gras Guide with his wife in 1977 as a way to make it easy for people to keep up with parade schedules. He says while he always knew it was a great idea, it took a few years for it to really catch on.
“We almost threw in the towel several times. We didn’t break even till about four years in. It was a critical success and a financial disaster initially,” Hardy noted.
The Mardi Gras Guide is now published by Georges Media, the parent company of The Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate and Gambit, and will continue to bear Hardy’s name.