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New app helps manage chaos of Carnival; why New Orleans leaned into tourism; dressing krewe royalty

Pardi Gras web app pages
Courtesy of Gretchen Neunhaus
Pardi Gras web app pages

Mardi Gras is a lot of things, including chaotic. It can be great when you’re watching parades, covered in throws and surrounded by friends. But sometimes, that chaos can make Carnival season overwhelming. You might find yourself stranded in the French Quarter looking for a bathroom, a phone charger or even your krewe.

Now, there’s a new app meant to help you manage the madness of Mardi Gras with parade updates, bathroom locators and social networking. Pardi Gras was founded by a team of developers including, Gretchen Neuenhaus, who joins us for more.

Whether they’re standing in line for beignets at Cafe Du Monde or dancing at the Frenchman street jazz clubs, tourists are a familiar sight in New Orleans — especially during Carnival season. But it wasn’t always this way.

Today on Louisiana Considered, we share an episode of the TriPodpodcast, where Laine Kaplan Levinson explores how and why the city first leaned into tourism.

Bill Saussaye’s family has helped decorate Mardi Gras krewes for generations, ever since his family founded the Vieux Carre Hair Shop in 1877. We listen back to a story on the Saussaye family from producer Thomas Walsh.

Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Alana Schreiber. Our assistant producer is Aubry Procell and our engineer is Garrett Pittman. 

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at 12 and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, Google Play, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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Alana Schreiber is the managing producer for the live daily news program, Louisiana Considered. She comes to WRKF from KUNC in Northern Colorado, where she worked as a radio producer for the daily news magazine, Colorado Edition. She has previously interned for Minnesota Public Radio in St. Paul and The Documentary Group in New York City.