New Orleans holds 1st parade of Carnival season 5 days after deadly attack on Bourbon Street

Hundreds gathered in New Orleans’ famed French Quarter to celebrate the first parade of Carnival season, just blocks from where 14 people were killed five days ago by a careening pickup. Organizers of the annual Joan of Arc Parade want the event to convey the city’s spirited grit as it grapples with the violent New Year’s Day attack but still persists with beloved traditions. New Orleans has the largest and best-known Carnival celebrations in the U.S., with more than one million visitors partaking in the revelry. The Joan of Arc Parade marks the end of the Christmas season, arrival of Carnival and the countdown to Mardi Gras.