Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, there isn't much of a Mardi Gras season this year. There will be no balls, no parades, no large-scale celebrations in the French Quarter or anywhere else in the city. There will be masks, just not the ones that New Orleanians are used to wearing.
Despite the challenges presented by COVID, New Orleanians are still finding ways to celebrate--in ways that won't shock anyone familiar with the magic of the Crescent City. First, since there are no parades this season, intrepid natives are turning their homes into "house floats." Instead of decorating floats, people are decorating their own homes instead.
Secondly, New Orleans residents are eating king cake. Lots of king cake. King cake sellers and bakeries were expecting a tough year following the cancellation of most of the city's Mardi Gras events. Instead, however, residents are taking refuge in one of the few, safe and responsible Mardi Gras traditions--king cake.
Chaya Conrad of Bywater Bakery, a small, locally owned bakery, relies on king cakes to stay profitable every year was worried about a lack of sales. Instead she said, "It's madness. It's through the roof. Thank God for king cake season."
Local restaurants, struggling to stay open with reduced seating capacity, are relying on king cakes to help boost their chances of survival. Brennan's, the famous local restaurant chain, has produced their first ever king cake this year. Patrick Brennan, the chain's bakery manager, said "We've pulled servers, cooks, dishwashers, everyone, they're getting hours they wouldn't have had. We're lucky we had the facility and the equipment we needed ready to go so we could keep doing this."
Even when we can't gather together for Mardi Gras, New Orleanians still find a way to les bon temps rouler.
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