Jerry garcia mardi gras house float

A Pandemic Can’t Stop Mardi Gras—or as It’s Called This Year, “Yardi Gras”

Southerners are decorating "house floats" to let the good times roll at home

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It’s hard to have massive parades and parties during a pandemic, even if it’s a tradition to wear masks for some of the revelers, so Mardi Gras has been a bit different this year in the cities of Mobile, Alabama (where the tradition started in case you didn’t know) and New Orleans, Louisiana. Folks along the gulf have adapted and turned their homes into “house floats” in what they’re calling “Yardi Gras” and the results are fantastic.

Here are just a few shots from Mobile:

I particularly like this one that integrates another holiday with some Day of the Dead imagery!

Folks are showing off their houses and celebrations on social media as well in the #YardiGras hashtag. People are getting really creative!

Here’s more from Mobile:

But of course, New Orleans is going full tilt for the pandemic-style celebration.

Some people even seem to be repurposing Christmas decor:

Did these folks just … have a dinosaur hanging around?

And more creativity:

Schitt’s Creek? Yes please!

Of course Bernie showed up!

Want more? Oh, we’ve got more. Here’s so video from NoLa/

No word on if folks will be throwing beads and moon pies from their balconies (seems unwise), but it’s really fun to see how many are making the most of a tough situation after a very tough year. So go check out the house floats in Yardi Gras online or even in your neighborhood or local area and laissez les bon temps roullez in safety!

(images: Chris Bryant)

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Author
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Jessica Mason
Jessica Mason (she/her) is a writer based in Portland, Oregon with a focus on fandom, queer representation, and amazing women in film and television. She's a trained lawyer and opera singer as well as a mom and author.