New Orleans Bowl needs to include Jefferson Street

[Turbine]

This idea is not my own, but I like it.

Speaking of shutting down Streets --How about Jefferson street with all those new party places--- We could try it a-la Bourbon for the NO Bowl!!!! Would this be a problem??

[CajunRebel]

I don't know how many people hang around Jefferson during Festival International but they leave Jefferson St. closed off to pedestrians and it makes for a really nice atmosphere. I think they should do that every weekend, but especially for the New Orleans Bowl.

[RaginRash]

Speaking of shutting down Streets --How about Jefferson street with all those new party places--- We could try it a-la Bourbon for the NO Bowl!!!! Would this be a problem??

Ahhh, Boomer...even Milwakee's Best can produce great ideas! LOL

[Boomer]

Ahhh, Boomer...even Milwakee's Best can produce great ideas! LOL

They sure seem to disappear from my ice chest when I go in the games---Something about beggers and choice!!!lol---Do you think this thing could fly? The idea is a spin off of a parade by the Grambling band from Downtown alive to the Cajundome to play a Zydaco concert with local musicians the nite before they would play the Cajuns--( the idea is now about 10-15 years old)!!!

[ulfanatic]

I think that they need to make a NO Bowl Parade, and get the two bands together that are in the New Orleans Bowl and get them in the Parade, get some High School Bands, and get some floats and other things and just use the Same Route as the Mardi Gras Parades. Let it end at Cajun Field.

That would be awesome and a way to support the NO Bowl.

Like the Citrus Bowl Parade. Rose Bowl Parade. It could be the No Bowl Parade. Have it the same day as the game, and have it in the afternoon. The only bad thing is people have to work on weekdays. Afternoon would be better for attendance.

[Geaux clotille]

I think that they need to make a NO Bowl Parade, and get the two bands together that are in the New Orleans Bowl and get them in the Parade, get some High School Bands, and get some floats and other things and just use the Same Route as the Mardi Gras Parades. Let it end at Cajun Field.

That would be awesome and a way to support the NO Bowl.

Like the Citrus Bowl Parade. Rose Bowl Parade. It could be the No Bowl Parade. Have it the same day as the game, and have it in the afternoon. The only bad thing is people have to work on weekdays. Afternoon would be better for attendance.

It may not be possible. The large New Orleans floats can't travel on the Interstate and the local floats kept in Abbeville suffered damage in Rita.

I will actually talk to some people I know who are the ones who can make this happen and see where this can go.

Another problem would be float throws- beads and such. They are kind of hard to come by right now, but again I will check.

I could see a route running from the campus, (Abdalla's or Alumni House) area to the Swamp.

Who do you think should ride on the floats? The teams and ???, Cajun fan float?, Trolley for Authement et al?

Convertibles for coaches? Both bands? The Pride of Acadiana?
This, of course would all depend on if WE make it to the bowl or not.

We are running out of time to make this happen, but I think the number of floats needed would be minimal and the float company in Abbeville may have enough to make it happen.

The BIG QUESTION here is funding. Who would fund this? The foats have to carry insurance. I can check the insurance policies of our Krewes to see if the floats ridea could fall under one of them. If this becomes necessary, the krewes, would of course want some kind of ability to participate.

[shof]

If no "parade", how bout kicking off the downtown experience and party with a little "battle of the bands". Put each band on opposite sides of the street with a bunch of fans in between, then let them play a few songs back and forth. After that, party on dude :<}

[Geaux clotille]

I think that they need to make a NO Bowl Parade, and get the two bands together that are in the New Orleans Bowl and get them in the Parade, get some High School Bands, and get some floats and other things and just use the Same Route as the Mardi Gras Parades. Let it end at Cajun Field.

That would be awesome and a way to support the NO Bowl.

Like the Citrus Bowl Parade. Rose Bowl Parade. It could be the No Bowl Parade. Have it the same day as the game, and have it in the afternoon. The only bad thing is people have to work on weekdays. Afternoon would be better for attendance.

The High School bands have to be paid. They have to arrive on buses that cost money and they won't march without payment. I guess it is the new way of the world.

The route, in my opinion would be too long. You want the parade atmosphere to be crowded and festive. Unfortunately that route would certainly have lots of dead space in between parade goers.

AS a Mardi Gras rider, I can tell you the pace picks up around the French House. the crowd is bigger and it becomes more fun for everyone.

Also, there's the cost of barricades that needs to come into play. The city has to put all of them up and take all of them down. I could see the possibility of no barricades for this parade since it wouldn't be the same kind of crowd as Mardi Gras.

[ulfanatic]

I think that you may be able to get some Donations going to make this possible, I Mean if UL can organize a HomeComing Parade, then I am sure that the City of Lafayette can organize something, it doesnt have to be big. It could just go from St. Mary to Reinhardt Blvd. Get the City of Lafayette involved and UL.

We Should try to make it as big as we possibly can. I mean I am sure that they have High School Bands that would love to come to this event since it is on ESPN and maybe get a station like UPN or something to televise the Parade. Small bands like maybe Abbeville, Kaplan, Jennings, it doesnt have to be bands like Comeaux, or Lafayette High School. I am sure that the Marching Band of each school would love to do something like this for the bowl game.

I mean the Citrus Bowl whenever I went had Tenneessee Marching Band and Michigan Marching Band. I am sure that we can make this possible. Also you can get a sponsor kind like the Sonic Drive Inn Christmas Parade, or like Capitol One Citrus Bowl Parade. Maybe Wyndham No Bowl Parade can. Wyndham Hotels can fund it and sponser it.

Even if we do not get High School Marching Bands, but I think the Roughest part is getting the Universities Marching Band to get them to play it in it. Iterneraries have to be approved budgets also, They would have to arrive at this time and it makes it hard on the Band Director to decide whether he wants to do it or not. That is the hardest because you are dealing with budget, and you dealing with 300 to 400 people in one particular band. It is hard to organize that many people. Band Director has to get everything situated in what a month

[RaginEsquire06]

If we do this right...we could garnish some very good national attention! Gotta have the "night-life" rocking! A parade will be great! Pack the stadium...give tickets to all of the high school football players, high school seniors, and band members in Acadiana! Give them a taste of the college experience!

[Geaux clotille]

We Should try to make it as big as we possibly can. I mean I am sure that Maybe Wyndham No Bowl Parade can. Wyndham Hotels can fund it and sponser it.

What was I thinking?

First thing tomorrow I will see who i can get on board and for what cost, make a budget and then start speaking to the powers that be!

[locoguano]

Just do it up as big as possible... who knows? maybe we can get a second bowl for the Sun Belt.. The Cajun Bowl

[Doug]

The chances of a bowl game are getting me excited what is being done by the city?

[Boomer]

The chances of a bowl game are getting me excited what is being done by the city?

Questions--what is the date and day of the week of the game? Could we run a shuttle trolley from the big Jeff. turn to the underpass on a backstreet? Should it be a day or nite parade?? Why not finish the parade on Jeff. St.?? I haven't been to Jeff. St at nite in 40 years-where does one park???? Could vendors sell tshirts etc. on the street? What about a military participation in the parade---Give the players some M G throws!!! Will UL be in session??? All star local hs dance and cheer teams!!!! We should call Conrad Myers, old Blue Jay teammate and head of the Sugar Bowl for some tips!!!!!!

[NewsCopy]

Don't look now, but the New Orleans Bowl is coming together right under your noses. Executive Director Billy Ferrante said the bowl game has someone working in Lafayette five days a week, and that several of the bowl staff members are now in town two to three days every week. The entire bowl staff will be in the city after Dec. 1. "We know where and when all our functions will be," Ferrante said this week. "It's only a matter of working out some details. We've had meetings with several local sponsors and we've received a tremendous amount of support." The Dec. 20 game's shift to the University of Louisiana's Cajun Field after Hurricane Katrina ravaged its Superdome home has created many changes. Now, the New Orleans Bowl even has a revised logo with "at Lafayette" added, and instead of those ESPN cutaway shots showing Bourbon Street, cable cars and Cafe du Monde, the national broadcast of the game will show crawfish boils, zydeco dancing and Cajun joie de vivre. And it's here for a reason, Ferrante said. "We found a community in Lafayette that offers very similar types of entertainment amenities as New Orleans," he said. "You'll see a lot of the same special events surrounding the game with a local Lafayette flavor. We've got player parties, VIP functions, luncheons and a huge tailgate party." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com