According to friends here in New Orleans, you don’t go to Mardi Gras, Mardi Gras comes to you.

Red evenings, Yuki, New Orleans, Louisiana

Tomorrow’s Krewe du Vieux was mentioned in this week’s NOLAlicious newsletter as an obvious thing to do this weekend, and earlier this week Molly Reid told one small story from a past Krewe du Vieux parade that only increased my interest:

… the sub-krewe’s theme would be “We All Live in a Jell-O Shot Machine, ” and krewe members would be dressed as Jell-O shots. They’d also be dispensing Jell-O shots and whipped cream straight out of the can to parade-goers.

… Let me tell you, if you have never witnessed a continuous throng of people all shouting variations of, “JELL-O! JELL-OOOOOOOOO! I LOVE JELL-O! GIMME SOME JELL-OOOOOOO!” you have not lived.

I’ve been to Mardi Gras five times as a tourist, but I’m viewing year one as a local as a new opportunity, a chance to see the festivals, parades and traditions with fresh eyes, a thoughtful mind and an open heart, ready to dive in, follow the parades, ride in a float, dance in the balls, contemplating how I’m going to pace my body, mind and heart, fully expecting to swoon early, often, easy.

New Orleans, I’m ready for Mardi Gras. I think.

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Photo above, reblogged from NOLAlicious tumblr.