We may still be in the middle of hurricane season, but Mardi Gras planning is underway across the region.

On Wednesday , the Jefferson Parish Council announced a handful of changes to its parade rules and schedule, providing a preview of the 2026 Carnival season .

Donna Russo, Jefferson Parish's director of citizens affairs, said the changes were simply meant to “clean up” the existing Carnival rules.

For instance, she said, the parish had experimented with permitting float riders to substitute face paint, glitter and sunglasses for proper Carnival masks. But, Russo said, “that didn’t work out.”

So on Wednesday, the council decreed that from now on, full masking will be required “to disguise facial characteristics,” as per age-old Carnival tradition.

“This provision shall not apply

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