Are New Orleans's Mardi Gras parades too big and too long? That's a question that city's Mardi Gras Advisory Council is considering, and some members say, "yes."
Several parades this year ran longer than two hours, with some extending into the wee hours of the morning.
A member of that council says there's a simple solution to reduce parade length.
"We're not enforcing the rules in place now," Mardi Gras Guide founder Arthur Hardy said. "If we don't self-regulate, we're going to be inviting more control from the city."
Hardy says this year, breakdowns and obstructions accounted for only one delay. That, he says, means the problem with the extended parades lies elsewhere.
"In general, it's just the size of the krewes," Hardy said.
Hardy says many of the city's Mardi Gras parades have become too big, with more than a dozen krewes boasting more than 1,000 riders. At least one krewe, Hardy says, has more than 3,000 riders.
Hardy told WWL's Newell Normand that the krewes and the Mardi Gras Advisory Council are working to self-regulate parade lengths before the city steps in and does it for them.
"The ordinance says you can't have more than 12 units in front of the first float or one unit between each float," Hardy said. "About a third of the krewes have ignored those rules, and that makes for longer parades. If we tighten up the enforcement and add some accountability, this problem may solve itself.
"I think the solution, and all the krewes are working towards that, hopefully will come from the parades themselves," Hardy added. "I'd hate to see any more rules and regulations placed on the krewes."
However, Hardy is quick to point out that these large krewes and long parades are proof that New Orleans is a victim of its own success.
"The good news is that this event is producing $900 million for the city of New Orleans," Hardy said.
