‘House floats’ keep the spirit of Mardi Gras alive in NOLA amid ongoing COVID-19 pandemic

NEW ORLEANS - New Orleans residents are getting creative and decorating their homes as "house floats" to celebrate Mardi Gras amid an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In lieu of physical floats, as is customary during Mardi Gras celebrations, residents are decorating their homes to mimic the traditional floats seen at many a parade in the Big Easy.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell announced in November that the city would not host parades for the 2021 Mardi Gras season, according to local news media reports. Mardi Gras celebrations began on Jan. 6 and continue through Feb. 16.

Santi Melara Adams, a New Orleans-based realtor, shared a video of a home themed as the "Acadiana Hayride" in the Lower Garden District on Jan. 16.

Adams said she also filmed footage of another house float, themed as "Hooked on Quack," near the Audubon and Riverside neighborhoods on Feb. 2.

Green Still Photography captured footage of decorated houses along Saint Charles Avenue in New Orleans on Jan. 30.

"Love capturing and creating these videos to capture the creative way to still keep the Mardi Gras spirit alive!" Green Still Photography said on Facebook.

New Orleans residents are keeping the spirit of Mardi Gras alive with decorated “house floats” in lieu of the city’s iconic parades, which were canceled as a coronavirus safety measure.

All of the houses sported the traditional green, purple and yellow color themes, with some even draped in traditional beaded necklaces to give passersby a feeling of Mardi Gras past.

Adams told Storyful the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a "completely new phenomenon" of "house floats."

"The house float idea has spread to all the neighborhoods in the City of New Orleans and beyond, keeping the spirit of Mardi Gras alive!" Adams said.