People mill around on Burbon Street. Above them, more people mill around on a balcony. In the background the neon lights are bright.   Two women bump in the street.

Bourbon Street is a block party that goes on for about five blocks, plus a few outlying zones of fun you have to get to by walking on the sidewalk. In the early evening they put poles in the roads, so that only pedestrians can use them. Both sides of the street have bars on them, and many of those have live rock bands grinding out classic hits to keep the party going strong. The weekend before Thanksgiving the party vibe was strong, and that's when I took most of these pictures. It rained a bit closer to turkey day, and the crowd would have been light even without that.

People dance as the band plays on.   A Black guy watches in front of a doorway with "Famous Door" in green neon light above it.

Woman poses with MEND YOUR FUELISH WAYS sticker on her butt.   A band plays behind a number of dancers.

Every now and then I'd run into someone else that was willing to hear my little speech. This woman got one and installed it you know where.

Wildly dressed man tries to make a soldier say "Louisiana."   A woman gestures as if she has just thrown a strand of Mardi Gras beads off a balcony where she stands with many others.

That guy in the red white and blue (plus yellow T shirt) was the lead singer for a band singing "Sweet Home Louisiana". It sounded like that old Lynard Skynard song Sweet Home Alabama, except that some of the lyrics were tweaked just a little bit. As this picture was taken he was taken, he was trying to get that Soldier to do the "Louisiana" in the chorus. The guy flubbed his word, but his friends were impressed that he got that opportunity.

On many of the balconys there were bar people with handfuls of Mardi Gras beads urging people to show their breasts for a strand. You can see that somebody has just inspired the woman in the dark top to throw down a strand.

Jazz band plays behind audience seated at tables.   People stand with arms raised as if saying "throw them here". One person has shirt open showing breasts.

It could have been the guy with his shirt open.

   A band plays behind a number of dancers.


Singer leans into a long note while making a gesture.   Tropical Isle. Hand Grenades. 

On many corners there were hot dog carts shaped like hot dogs with LUCKY DOG written on them. I gave my little speech to one of the guys that works one, and it got us to talking. He explained to me that the Lucky Dog company thinks of him as a *Vending Machine*(TM). On a bad day he is lucky to take home $6 when it is over (I think that is plus a shower, uniform, and at least a few hot dogs). I tried to talk him into putting sauerkraut on his cart, and he explained that the management would just say "We have been doing it this way for 57 years, and we aren't going to change the formula for the two people a day that might want sauerkraut" (or words to that effect). I showed him the crossroads of the revolution and told him "the sauerkraut is mightier than the bun" as an example of a pun that is mightier than a gun. I'm wishing the hot dog vendors of New Orleans had the chutzpah to put a small jars of sauerkraut on their carts. Wouldn't it be nice if a catchy slogan would do it?

Two guys play guitar like mantle ornaments.   Band plays in cool looking bar.