NEW ORLEANS — On Thursday, the New Orleans City Council announced a list of items that won’t be allowed along parade routes next Carnival season.
So, if you’re thinking of setting up shop, here are a few things you’ll want to leave at home.
Couches, porta-potties, scaffolding, platforms, open flames, gas generators, tents, and upholstered furniture won’t be allowed within three blocks of the route.
“Common sense would say you should not have a diesel or gas generator in crowded areas, but sometimes common sense is not that common,” New Orleans City Council Member JP Morrell said.
Rain or shine, tents, and tarps are also on the “what not to bring” list.
“What it’s turned into is, you have a tent on a platform and you have a little Taj Mahal for you and your family, while you stare at the peasants around you. That is no longer an option,” Morrell said.
Next, if you have a pet snake, lizard, or pony, those stay at home too. The new ordinance prohibits horses and reptiles within 200 feet of the parade route, excluding any horse participating in the parade, and of course, NOPD’s emotional support animal, Patch.
The city has set similar rules in the past, and Council Member Joe Giarrusso says it’s going to take enforcement to make them stick.
“Without that, we have chaos on the route,” Giarrusso said.
The question is, with tens of thousands of visitors in town and an understaffed police department, how are these rules enforceable?
According to NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, with help from everyone.
“We do support and will enforce everything that we can, but we do have a lot of partners, so we may be dividing that responsibility up,” NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said. “We want the cooperation of the community, so everyone can have fun.”
There are a few changes to throw guidelines too. Confetti, silly string, and any throw with a sharp point will be banned from Carnival.
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