Parades Will Briefly Step Aside for Super Bowl XLVII

Earlier this year it was decided that the combined revelry of Mardi Gras 2013 & Super Bowl XLVII was just too much for the city of New Orleans to contemporaneously bear. Either that or the prospect not allowing each festivity its own time to shine was just simply out of the question! That being said, the first week of Carnival will begin this year on Jan. 25 instead of Feb. 1. That will be followed by a nine-day break as NOLA collectively turns its attention toward Super Bowl XLVII. 

Traditionally, the official Carnival season consists of 12 consecutive days that culminate on Fat Tuesday. The official date of the big game will be Feb. 3, and Mardi Gras subsequently will fall on Feb. 12 in 2013. The parade season will pick up again after the big game.

Coincidentally, there hasn't been this type of shift in carnival scheduling since 2002 when New Orleans last hosted the iconic game. Originally scheduled for January 27, the Super Bowl was bumped a week after the NFL was forced to postpone games during their regular season, a direct result of the attacks on September 11. At the time, the change in schedule wasn't confirmed until mid-October of that year, leaving the city only 3 months to plan. Many Krewes were significantly affected and had to scale back the size of their parades. This time around, the city has had well over a year in advance to prepare, leading most to believe that one of the more exciting carnival seasons yet is set to go off without a hitch!

Still confused? Check out our detailed parade calendar for a day by day break of all 2013 parades!!