It’s all over now: Mardi Gras 2015 is officially over and the last tipsy revelers in New Orleans have been cleared from city streets. At the stroke of midnight, New Orleans police on horseback rode down the French Quarter’s main tourist thoroughfare, Bourbon Street, sending home the last revelers from the Fat Tuesday bash. City crews before dawn Wednesday began sweeping up tons of trash, discarded food and plastic beads that had been tossed from the Mardi Gras floats during parades the day before. City officials have said up to 150 tons of trash would be collected, making it appear as if the parades never happened. The Associated Press has the full story.
Chomping at the bit: Ouachita Parish residents and revelers from across the region will have the opportunity to witness alligator wrestling, fair rides, a petting zoo and country music as a Monroe businessman is planning the first Louisiana Crawfish and Gator Festival. The News-Star reports Riverside Coney Island owner Tom Hardy is putting together the three-day event. “This area needs it,” Hardy says. “Winnsboro has the Catfish Festival. Farmerville has the Watermelon Festival. There’s no such thing as a Crawfish and Gator Fest, yet. It’ll highlight the Monroe and West Monroe area for tourism.” The festival will be held April 30 through May 3. Read the full story.
Seeing red: Andrea Megan Stancin, 44, of New Orleans has made the cut of 100 finalists who could leave Earth for a one-way trip to Mars in 2024 as part of the Mars One mission. Mars One, a nonprofit foundation that hopes establish a permanent human settlement on Mars, on Tuesday announced the 100 finalists from more than 200,000 applicants. Stancin, an engineer and oceanographer, says in her application video that she’s wanted to be an astronaut since she was a child. She’s the lone finalists from Louisiana. You can check out her application video here. USA Today has the full story on the Mars One finalists and mission.
