On February 9, 2020 I attended the parade of Krewe of Nefertiti. This was located in East New Orleans neighboorhood. It had been 28 years since the last time a parade took place in New Orleans East. I attended the event with professor Helm and three other girls from my class. When we first arrived to the actually scene of the parade I realized that the people in attendance of the event were primarily African American. The demographics of the crowd were mainly young children and middle aged black people. Initially we got there early to get a spot before a lot of people came, but upon arrival there was a good amount of people there. There were people were lined up outside on the parade path with lawn chairs ready for it to start.
One thing I can say about this specific parade is that, the audience for the parade was something I have never witnessed before. I am not New Orleans local and I have never really experienced parades before. I am from Washington, D.C. and the only time I really see floats is when a local sports team won a championship.
The overall vibe of the event was bright. The crowd was cheering on the performers and celebrating. I could tell that people were just very happy to be there. Even though I am not from New Orleans, I felt as if I was welcomed into the community. People were engaging in conversation with me about their lives and sharing their favorite Mardi Gras moments. It was something I have never experienced before, there was a strong culture bond within New Orleans. I wished D.C. had similar events back at home because watching the audience enjoy their time made me happy.
Jordan’s Mardi Gras Blogs 