On Mardi Gras morning, bands march down St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, blowing their best tunes as crowds looked for beads, stuffed animals and balloons.
When it comes to coveted throws off the float, many adults in the crowd want the traditional Zulu coconut, but the kids usually have different ideas.
Mardi Gras day is when the kings of carnival hit the streets — namely Zulu and Rex.
It’s a sign that the Mardi Gras season is winding down. It’s also a good time to reflect on the past season — be it good, bad or ugly.
Simone Abegunrin says her family invited her down this year. It’s her first Mardi Gras.
"This is something I’ve been wanting to do my entire life. Both of my parents went to HBCUs in Louisiana. They got to go and parade and get all the coconut and everything. And in LA, our marching bands aren't as good. So I wanted to see the real culture," Abegunrin said.
Several incidents on the parade route near St. Charles Avenue sent officers swarming. But they were quickly able to get those issues under wraps.
Some say this reminded them of Sunday, when a shooting along the usually family friendly St. Charles Avenue during the Bacchus parade left a teen dead and four others wounded, including a 4 year old.
"Growing up in LA, and I traveled and stuff — life is gonna happen. So what I love is seeing everybody come back together. There’s people united. People try to watch out for each other, and I thought it was beautiful for the city to make sure that it kept going and didn’t let the violence win," Abegunrin said.
Most of the fun may be over for this year, but now it’s time to look toward the future.
Mardi Gras traditions date back centuries
Celebrations have occurred since the 18th century with various balls and social events occurring throughout Pointe du Mardi Gras.
