With so many evacuees living in the area, The Houston news stations are reporting that the island is expecting up to 100,000 more people at Mardi Gras this year. To be honest, I can't see how that many more people can fit downtown, let alone the island. Folks were getting trampled and passing out last year.

Link to the story:

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=local&id=3679348

NBC also ran a story but I got lazy and didn't look it up on the net :)

There is even a Krewe coming from New Orleans this year, Bards of Bohemia.

Last year shots of the Strand....

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/2820/mardigrasgalveston3300ll.jpg

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5889/mardigrasgalveston3643sl.jpg

I heard about that, as well. That is going to be a huge for the island.

I will echo my statements from HAIF. I am staying to support Galveston with this Mardi Gras but I think the NOLA evacuees in Houston will love to go back to their city for this annual one time event. Even the people who have local Mardi Gras such as Galveston and St Louis may go to New Orleans out of curiosity to see how the city is doing. I thought about going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras for that same curiosity but I will stay in the Houston area. I think New Orleans MG will be huge in '06.

BTW, for the New Orleans evacuees that do come to Galveston in February, get ready to get a hanful of them. A lot of them are really into culture and will probably find home in Galveston. You would not believe how many people have come up to complain to me that they are not comfortable with Houston because it lacks the qualities they had back home. Some have already told me, that they love the island and a huge smile comes to their face when they talk about it.

I will echo my statements from HAIF. I am staying to support Galveston with this Mardi Gras but I think the NOLA evacuees in Houston will love to go back to their city for this annual one time event. Even the people who have local Mardi Gras such as Galveston and St Louis may go to New Orleans out of curiosity to see how the city is doing. I thought about going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras for that same curiosity but I will stay in the Houston area. I think New Orleans MG will be huge in '06.

I believe the middle class may go back and celebrate Mardi Gras, but the lower class may find lodging and other expenses difficult to afford at the moment. It would seem logical to me that they would drive down to the island, and return to their homes scattered across the Houston metro. I could be wrong though :?

BTW, for the New Orleans evacuees that do come to Galveston in February, get ready to get a hanful of them. A lot of them are really into culture and will probably find home in Galveston. You would not believe how many people have come up to complain to me that they are not comfortable with Houston because it lacks the qualities they had back home. Some have already told me, that they love the island and a huge smile comes to their face when they talk about it.

We'd love to have em!

That's nice....I hope Galveston has a fun Mardi Gras.

Galveston usually has 50,000 people on the island daily. (Note* Thats not the population)

Or was it 100,000? I dunno, somewhere near double the population of people on the island daily.

pop. 60,000
daily swells to: 100,000 summer: 100,000-above
mardi gras: 400,000
'06 mardi gras predictions: 500,000

Some New Orleans evacuees was in Atlanta, and they listen to New Orleans mayor preaching about coming back home. Half of them said "Come back home to what?" Then the mayor saying that the Mardi Gras will be back Feb 06. A woman stood up and talked down on the mayor saying, "why you putting on this carnival? This doesn't make any sense to still carry this carnival. For what? We all know it's only for the white folks!" She also mention that, she's leaving Atlanta, for Houston, not for New Orleans.

Why come here? Everybody wanna come to Houston. I wish they all go back home and help rebuild New Orleans, cause really its getting pretty ugly here in Houston.

Now, for this larger Galveston Mardi Gras. I would say it's a good and bad thing, and here's the reason why. Anywhere you have larger crowds, something bound to go wrong. There will be some crime there, beleive me it will. But, on the postivie side. Galveston will benefit from this, yes, it will bring in lot's and lot's of tourist and money to Galveston. Plus, with the opening of the new state of the art water park, this will be a boom in Galveston in the upcoming months.

She also mention that, she's leaving Atlanta, for Houston, not for New Orleans.

If she's moving to Houston, she needs to keep her mouth shut about Mardi Gras... it's really none of her business what New Orleanians want to do about Mardi Gras. Also, with her racist comments, she doesn't seem like the sharpest knife in the drawer.

She ain't too sharp either if she's leaving Atlanta for Houston!!! :D

But she is pretty sharp about not moving back to New Orleans :tongue3:

I think the closes city in the south that have that atomsphere like New Orleans is, Houston and Galveston. But, Galveston is closest to New Orleans.

:sleepy:

No offense but it is best if some people do not get ahold of some threads.

I think the closes city in the south that have that atomsphere like New Orleans is, Houston and Galveston. But, Galveston is closest to New Orleans.

I visited New Orleans for the first time three years ago, and it reminded me of Galveston ALOT, except on a larger scale.

Here is a video link to the CBS spot...

http://www.kvue.com/perl/common/video/wmPlayer.pl?title=www.khou.com/deselmardi_5121.wmv

Yes it do, Reggie. Hell, long time ago New Orleans and Galveston was sister cities, until the hurricane knocked out Galveston.

This reminds me of today. Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans hard, now they're shifting to another city, of course, Houston. Just like Galveston did.

Hey, Reggie. I can't see the video. Is there any other way I can view it?

Yes it do, Reggie. Hell, long time ago New Orleans and Galveston was sister cities, until the hurricane knocked out Galveston.

This reminds me of today. Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans hard, now they're shifting to another city, of course, Houston. Just like Galveston did.

Hey, Reggie. I can't see the video. Is there any other way I can view it?

Do you have a current version of Windows Media Player? It pops right up for me :dunno:

Yes it do, Reggie. Hell, long time ago New Orleans and Galveston was sister cities, until the hurricane knocked out Galveston.

This reminds me of today. Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans hard, now they're shifting to another city, of course, Houston. Just like Galveston did.


Actually, many people see New Orleans-Baton Rouge becoming the present day version of Galveston-Houston after 1900.
There could be over 200,000 new permanent residents in Baton Rouge in a few years, though the average estimates are closer to 125,000-150,000.

I just actually got back from Galveston today after staying the night in the Moody Gardens Hotel for a Christmas party last night. I absolutely love Galveston, and it gets better everytime I go back. I can't wait for Mardi Gras.

Actually, many people see New Orleans-Baton Rouge becoming the present day version of Galveston-Houston after 1900.
There could be over 200,000 new permanent residents in Baton Rouge in a few years, though the average estimates are closer to 125,000-150,000.

I hate to say this for New Orleans and I truly hope I am wrong. But I see that as well. I think Baton Rouge will become the powerhouse in Louisiana and New Orleans will be the resort town that will struggle but still have much of its charachter and history still in many pockets in the city. Much like Houston and Galveston today. Again, I hope I am wrong.

We'll see. Baton Rouge will need to do some major catching up to New Orleans for this to occur. Already over 1 million have returned to Metro New Orleans since Katrina and another couple of hundred thousand should be back home by next Summer. Baton Rouge is growing, but, I just can't see it as being a metro area with 1.3 or 1.4 million people as Metro New Orleans, yet...

But, people in louisiana still going to flock to Houston, or Dallas for jobs. Texas will still get majority of louisiana people. But, I do agree that Baton Rouge will be the next biggest city in louisiana for along time.

So how 'bout that Mardi Gras? Aren't the streetcars in Galveston decked out on the exterior with Mardi Gras lights covering every inch of the car.

You know, I vaguely remember that the streetcars are indeed decorated, but blame my lack of recollection on the beer, lol

Anyhow, I was doing some research on the Bards of Bohemia Krewe on NOLA.COM and some people were not happy at all that their parade was moving to the island:

"Galveston charges $25 each night for a ticket to Mardi Gras. Yeah, that's what I said, a friggin' ticket. It is a commercial event. Has nothing to do with the culture. I moved to Houston years ago. Galveston Mardi Gras is a travesty.
Also, Galveston is a dump. Not trying to be mean, but it's alot like the 9th Ward, but on the sand. All they have is tourism, so they hide the truth. Their version of Mardi Gras is like a warm-up parade. I wouldn't go, but then I grew up with the real deal. Lots of crime, too."


HERE IS ANOTHER:
(Texas) "is too uptight to celebrate Mardi Gras like we celebrate it in FRENCH Louisiana...Texas does well with it's Spanish Fiestas in San Antonio but Mardi Gras belongs to FRENCH Louisiana...the FRENCH people of South Louisiana is what makes Mardi Gras in Louisiana...it can not be transplanted to a non FRENCH area..."

:eek2:

Uh oh. I could see why someone would be angry with Mardi Gras in Galveston. The party is no competition with New Orleans, but with a ravaged NOLA and a Mardi Gras that will be scaled down because of that, I can see where some frustration comes in when there is a similar party going down in the next metro, past Baton Rouge, to the west.

I hate to say this for New Orleans and I truly hope I am wrong. But I see that as well. I think Baton Rouge will become the powerhouse in Louisiana and New Orleans will be the resort town that will struggle but still have much of its charachter and history still in many pockets in the city. Much like Houston and Galveston today. Again, I hope I am wrong.

For some reason I had to bring this back up but Baton Rouge surpassing NOLA as Louisiansa's powerhouse...thats funny. They too close to compete, they would merge before that happens. This rivalry reminds me of Mobile and B-Ham but less heated. Also the two largest Mardi Gras celebration are in Mobile and NOLA where the two weeks leading to Fat Tuesday yield about 1 million and 1.1 million visitors respectively since Katrina.

I thought Galveston had the second largest Mardi Gras? Wouldn't be surprised with Mobile having the second most, so Galveston is probably third or fourth (I think St. Louis has a big one).

Mobile is the birthplace of Mardi Gras in America. For the record....

AOL's Top 10 Mardi Gras Celebrations
1 New Orleans
2 Mobile
3 Galveston
4 St. Louis
5 New Roads, LA
6 Hollywood, FL
7 Shreveport / Bossier City
8 Biloxi, MS
9 Pensacola, FL
10 Baton Rouge, LA

That looks about right .

Well, all indications, according to the news, is the small post-Katrina dips for Mardi Gras are over in New Orleans. They were saying on the radio today that based on debris and trash clean-up and hotel reservations that Mardi Gras has returned to pre-Katrina numbers in 2008. It was actually one of the largest Mardi Gras's ever being so early. The crowd was more affluent and alot more flew in for Mardi Gras....no Spring Break crowds, this year...simply too early.

For some reason I had to bring this back up but Baton Rouge surpassing NOLA as Louisiansa's powerhouse...thats funny. They too close to compete, they would merge before that happens. This rivalry reminds me of Mobile and B-Ham but less heated. Also the two largest Mardi Gras celebration are in Mobile and NOLA where the two weeks leading to Fat Tuesday yield about 1 million and 1.1 million visitors respectively since Katrina.

You have to understand that I made that comment in a time where there was still questions for New Orleans. At the time, Baton Rouge was temporarily the largest city in the state. I did not mean for that to be against New Orleans.