Yardi Gras

New Orleans Parties at Home

By Leah Etling on Feb 16, 2021 in Events

Who knew that the 2019 “Yardi Gras” celebration at YASC DC would be a prescient window to the future?

This year, instead of typical Fat Tuesday revelry, the citizen of New Orleans are celebrating in a very different way: at home, due to the ongoing pandemic.

It’s a theme we’re all familiar with at this point, after nearly a year of working, living life and celebrating milestones – all from home. Our yards may be very familiar at this point, but they are also a creative space for expression and fun.

Nowhere is that more true than in New Orleans today.

Historic Tradition, Reimagined

“Since 1857, Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans have been called off only 14 times, because of war, mob violence, or labor disputes,” reports Bloomberg News.

Image credit: NOLA Weekend

“This year will be the 15th. Much as the city came together after the devastation of Hurricane Katina, turning Carnival into a celebration of hope amid the mourning, Crescent City citizens are still letting the good times roll and supporting each other while they’re at it.”

Originally, Yardi Gras, as city officials are calling it, began as a fundraiser. The Krewe of Red Beans was looking for a way to help the artists who create the city’s typically over-the-top parade floats. With no parades, no income was coming in. After the fundraiser as publicized, the idea gained grassroots traction – often on actual grass.

As a result, this year there are more than 3,000 “house floats” at individual homes around New Orleans and beyond.

Yardi Gras at YASC D.C. 2019

A Spirit of Celebration

“It’s a spirit of celebration just like that we had in Washington D.C. at YASC two years ago,” said Tim Hoover, creative director for Yardi. “We brought in Sierra Green and the Soul Machine to entertain our clients and staff at the event. It was one of the most fun and memorable YASC festivities ever. The Yardi Gras spirit is something special.”

New Orleans residents can find it alive and well in their city tonight. According to Bloomberg: “They can be found as far west as Lake Charles as well as southern parts of Louisiana such as Houma. Mardi Gras float artists already have houses booked for next year, so the new tradition is sure to stick around.”

Mardi Gras celebrants have picked up the Yardi Gras mantle and decorated all over the U.S. New articles reference homes decked out from Alabama to Oregon and at points between.

See the 2021 Yardi Gras House Floats

Find photos of the homebound festivities in the links below: