Apocalypse Update: Can't Keep Good (Weird) People Down

As Whitney noted last week, New Orleans mayor LaToya Cantrell closed bars for Mardi Gras, which followed the city's decision not to issue permits for the traditional parade. While those actions are particularly striking examples of the traditions the pandemic has altered, the actions of the locals in response have been downright uplifting.

Megan Boudreaux went through the stages of grief after the decisions, but she came out on the other side as a damn genius. Boudreaux announced on Twitter that she was going to decorate her house in lieu of a float, and the brilliant people of New Orleans jumped.

Boudreaux founded Krewe of House Floats to organize maps of houses across the city, and to raise money for the Greater New Orleans Foundation to assist restaurant and hotel workers impacted by the pandemic. Dozens, if not hundreds of residences in the greater metropolitan area are lit up in any number of whimsical themes. Like this one, which celebrates Prince:

Or Mystic Moai and the Escape from Kraken Coven:

How about, It's Mardi Gras Time and We Don't Give a Duck!?:

There are more in this WaPo article on the grassroots effort, which has raised more than $100,000 in the past several weeks. 

People, especially New Orleanians, are sometimes pretty awesome.