Companies that sell Carnival supplies are hoping for a strong year after last year’s devastating cancellations.
Current plans are for Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge to proceed as normal, though Mayor Sharon Weston Broome has said it’s too early to say for sure.
“We’re on pace for a normal year,” says Brian DiMartino, third-generation owner of Carnival Mart.
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DiMartino says his store generated only about 5% as much revenue in 2021 as compared to a typical year. Fortunately, he says his business, which opened in 1969, had savings to fall back on. He says he’s heard a few customers express concerns that they might not be able to use the beads and accessories that they’re buying, but those worries aren’t affecting sales.
But Nelson Maddox, owner of Parties Start Here, says Broome’s public uncertainty, which he believes is unwarranted, is having a chilling effect on sales. He also had a rough year in 2021 and says his business can’t survive another year like it.
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“Everybody that loves Mardi Gras is wide open,” Maddox says. “All of the balls are going on.”
No Baton Rouge parades have been canceled, and local tourism officials continue to promote Mardi Gras as if everything will happen on schedule.
This story originally appeared in a Jan. 17 issue of Daily Report. To keep up with Baton Rouge business and politics, subscribe to the free Daily Report e-newsletter here.