Phunny Phorty Phellows Launch Mardi Gras 2006

For the past nineteen years, The Phunny Phorty Phellows kick off the Mardi Gras season on Twelfth Night (6 January--Feast of the Epiphany) with their annual streetcar ride. Usually the ride takes place along the St. Charles Line starting at the Carrollton Barn, but since the line remains offline because of KTMB damage the Canal and Riverfront Lines (using a vintage St. Charles Line car) in the CBD and the French Quarter served as this year's venue. The starting point this year was the intersection of Crozat and Canal Street in front of the Krauss Building. Lots of local press are always at this event, but this year national press towing the "attempting normalcy" angle were there as well. It was good to see the spirit of the krewe members as well as the spirit of the people who ventured Downtown to see this tradition live on. Of course like any gathering in New Orleans post-KTMB where new people are met, inevitably the conversation turns to "how'd your house do?" and "where'd you evacuate to?"

The Mardi Gras 2006 full-parade season with 30 of 35 parading krewes (five krewes not parading this year according to Arthur Hardy) begins in six weeks. Fat Tuesday is 28 February. Here's how tonight looked . . .