With three popular parades — Chaos, Babylon and Muses — the Thursday night before Mardi Gras is one of the best times of the New Orleans Carnival season. The downside is that sometimes the long train of floats can drag into the evening later than planned.

At City Hall on Thursday, the City Council voted unanimously, 7-0, to start the evening an hour earlier, in hopes of allowing the long procession to end at a more reasonable hour. Beginning in 2026, the trio of parades will begin at 4:30 p.m. instead of 5:30 p.m. The change will hopefully help get float riders, marching bands, the parade audience and first responders home earlier.

The amendment was one of several issues voted on simultaneously as part of a consent agenda. The topic was previously discussed on Sept. 25 during a Governme

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