Topic starter
21/01/2008 12:15 pm
... well, kind of 😉
According to New Orleans City Business article "Carnival Crossing" ( http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/viewStory.cfm?recID=25614 ) Blaine Kern's "Mardi Gras World" will move into Robin Street Wharf, formerly occupied by the Delta Queen Steamboat Company before Majestic America Line moved to St. Louis / Seattle.
So why are paddlehwheelers back to Robin Street Wharf? Well, part of the exhibition is a beautiful, huge Mardi Gras float in the shape of a paddlewheel steamboat.
21/01/2008 5:41 pm
It will be interesting to see if they expand the Riverfront Streetcar Line up to Robin St. Now Julia ST. is the last stop, and that's a bit of a hike to Robin St., especially considering the non-pedestrian-friendly aspect of the wharves and railroad tracks. Parking will have to be considered too, if Kern uses up the current spaces inside Robin St. I think the idea has potential and could really hook up with convention business from the Morial Center just down the street. Robin St. under DQ was sometimes used for convention receptions. For those unfamiliar with the Blaine Kern MG World setup, it is on the West Bank, about 5 blocks from the ferry landing. They usually have a van at the ferry landing to transport visitors to the site, where you can not only view floats, but see them under construction. I can't tell by this article if the Robin St. venue will have construction or just be a storage/viewing area. If that's the case, people really interested in the process will have two sites to visit. Mardi Gras floatmaking is a year-round process, so this will be a year-round attraction. One thing it will lessen: the grand procession over the Crescent City Connection of the tractor-pulled floats for the East Bank parade du jour!