It is twelfth night which means the carnival season has begun. Basically it means the season of balls have begun and you can eat as much king cake as you like up until Mardi Gras.

I am hopeful that we have a good number of people streaming into the city for Mardi Gras. Besides the whole rebuilding thing, this is a big year because it’s the 150th anniversary of Carnival. For those of you who do not know as much about the true details and history of Mardi Gras, I highly recommend visiting the official Rex Parade (King of Carnival) website. Mardi Gras is not about the French Quarter and everything you see on TV. It is actually a family event… yes I said family… that is steeped in the city’s history and culture.