Washington Mardi Gras is an annual networking event, where Louisiana politicos get to rub shoulders with the movers and shakers in the nation’s capital at a big masquerade ball.
But this year’s unprecedented snowfall along the Gulf Coast is delaying a must have Mardi Gras staple: The delectable king cake.
Carnival season is also King cake season, and some of the best cakes come from Haydel’s Bakery in New Orleans. The bakery has been making the round sugary treat since 1959.
But in the third week of Carnival season, 8 inches of snow brought production to a screeching halt, the bakery’s owner, Ryan Haydel said.
“ It was fun to have snow for one day, but to be shut down for multiple days, everybody's ready to get back to work,” said Haydel.
The bakery would have shipped 2,000 cakes this week to the nation’s capital and other places around the country.
Louisiana Rep. Troy Carter is chair of the 76th Washington Mardi Gras. He says King Cakes only sweeten the event.
“That tasty little morsel. It's something that people in Washington have been spoiled with, as every year I send members of Congress a king cake, as a part of sharing a little bit of Louisiana. And of course, during Washington Mardi Gras, we have it on every table,” said Carter.
The fresh king cakes were supposed to arrive in D.C. earlier this week, but Haydel had to cancel orders as their bakery was snowed in and the airport was closed for several days.
But as the roads cleared on Thursday, they started baking again. Haydel says the D.C. king cake order made it into the mix. And flights resumed at Louis Armstrong Airport Thursday afternoon.
“So there's still a possibility King Cakes may make it to Washington for Mardi Gras there,” said Haydel.
So better late than never for the purple, green and gold confectionery, says Rep. Carter.
“We've got our fingers crossed that that plane lands safely with our king cakes in tow,” Carter said.
And it looks like this story may have a sweet ending after all.