Fat Tuesday 2011: What The Celebration Really Means For New Orleans
Mardi Gras, the French term for “Fat Tuesday”, is celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday each year and most notoriously celebrated in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Although Fat Tuesday to an average American means drinking, partying, and eating, what does it really mean to New Orleans?
Although it is one of the largest celebrations in America, how much does it cost the city to put on such an extravagant event?
Floats costing from $40,000-$1 million is one of the most important attributes to the street side celebration, and is needed at a hefty fine.
City Employee Overtime can cost $1.5 million, as workers are not too anxious to spend the most celebrated night of the year cleaning.
So how does the city make all of this money back? Well, along with the revenue from hotel stays, food and beverage, and certain bar coverage, one way the city makes some money is by charging the hundreds of vendors.
A simple concession stand in the historical district can cost a vendor around $285 just for a permit. Traditional Mardi Gras street food includes hotdogs, corn-dogs, and chicken on a stick.
