Louisiana
Louisiana’s run with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade is over. What happens to the 60-foot gator?
Louisiana knocked it out of the park in its Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade debut in 2021, bringing a 60-foot alligator float — the longest one rolling — that stopped at one point to let singer Jon Batiste step off the float to perform live with dancers on the street.
The response to “Celebration Gator,” measured by hits on social media and Louisiana tourism sites, “went through the roof,” said Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, head of the state’s Office of Tourism.
The gator had a good run in 2022 and 2023, too.
Over the three years that the gator crawled down the streets of New York — its legs moved as it went — it reached 3 billion people worldwide and generated a publicity value of $24 million, according to the state tourism office.
The monster-sized gator, though, won’t be appearing in the Macy’s parade this year, Nungesser said. The state didn’t renew its contract with parade organizers.
Louisiana would perhaps need to come up with a new float idea or build a different “gator” should the Louisiana Office of Tourism rejoin the parade in the future. It might also be more expensive process now, Nungesser said.
So what will happen to Celebration Gator, as the float was dubbed?
“I don’t know. It’s Macy’s,” Nungesser said. “They could scrap it.”
Once Macy’s approves a float design, the presenters of the float pay Macy’s to build it, he said.
The idea for the giant alligator float came during the early days of the pandemic, Nungesser said.
The tourism staff was on a video conference and came up with the idea of using big-name parades to attract visitors to Louisiana again.
Nungesser said that Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was perfect.
“It comes right before Mardi Gras,” he said.
As it does with all the floats, Macy’s sent its own basic float ideas to Louisiana, Nungesser said.
Instead, the tourism office sent back the idea for the gator.
“We needed a wow factor,” he said.
“We went back and forth with Macy’s for three months,” Nungesser said. “I told them it was going to be the longest float to ever crawl down the streets of New York.”
The Louisiana Office of Tourism will now focus on the Rose Bowl Parade coming up on New Year’s Day 2025 in Pasadena, California. Louisiana made its debut in that parade in 2021, the same year it entered New York City.
“We want to concentrate on where we can get more bang for our buck,” Nungesser said.
In the first three years that Louisiana had a float in the Rose Bowl Parade, it reached 4.3 billion people worldwide and generated a publicity value of $39.7 million, the tourism office said.
Last year’s float, the “Celebration Riverboat,” was built by volunteers at a cost of $350,000 and featured performers Amanda Shaw, Sean Ardoin and James Burton.
The theme for the 2025 Rose Bowl Parade will be “Best Night Ever.”
Louisiana’s float — still to be designed — will be about “Saturday night in Louisiana,” Nungesser said.
“It will be about Tiger Stadium and all the festivals and fairs we have throughout the state,” he said.
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — On Friday, Jan. 10, Louisiana is remembering Billy DiMaio, a victim of the Jan. 1 Bourbon Street attack.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry declared a period of mourning, ordering that all flags over state buildings be flown at half-staff.
On Friday, the state is remembering DiMaio, who was from New Jersey and a New York-based account executive for a radio station company.
At a Sunday news conference, Landry said he is remembered as a star student and a lacrosse player who had “an unwavering work ethic and positive attitude and kindness.”
Louisiana State Superintendent Cade Brumley also asked school systems to consider a moment of silence at 9 a.m. during the period of mourning.
The New Orleans Police Department and the Archdiocese of New Orleans will ring the bells of St. Louis Cathedral every day through Jan. 23, between 12:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. to honor and remember the lives lost and those affected by the terror attack.
Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.
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Louisiana
Lower fees coming to homeowner insurance in Louisiana but premiums still high • Louisiana Illuminator
Homeowners in Louisiana will see a small discount on the fees they pay on top of their property insurance premiums this year.
The Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. Board of Directors voted Thursday to bring an early end to a 1.36% assessment added to all residential and commercial property insurance policies in the state. Louisiana Citizens is the state-run insurer of last resort for homeowners in environmentally risky areas who cannot find coverage on the private market.
The assessment, which goes toward paying off bonds for debt that Louisiana Citizens incurred from paying claims from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, was originally set to expire in June 2026 but will now end this April.
Gov. Landry signs Temple-backed insurance package
Additionally, those insured through Louisiana Citizens will no longer have to pay a 10% surcharge when they begin a new policy or renew their existing policy this year. The waiver, part of newly enacted legislation, took effect on Jan. 1 and will last for the next three years.
Both changes are part of Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple’s efforts to tame skyrocketing insurance rates in Louisiana.
“When Commissioner Temple took office and became chair of the Citizens Board of Directors, he encouraged our staff to find innovative ways for Louisiana Citizens to operate more efficiently and find savings for policyholders,” Louisiana Citizens CEO Richard Newberry said in a press release. “Our team identified this opportunity and brought it to the board for approval at today’s meeting.”
Although most policyholders will see relatively small savings from the changes, Temple said every little bit helps.
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Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana kicked off its year-long bicentennial celebration Wednesday
On a bright and chilly winter day, Centenary College of Louisiana kicked off its bicentennial year with a birthday celebration including a proclamation from the City of Shreveport and music by Centenary choir.
It was a grand start to the bicentennial year. Centenary College of Louisiana president, Dr. Christopher L. Holoman said, “we are really excited to be looking back at 200 years, an amazing history. We are so proud of that, but we are even prouder of what we are going to be in the future.”
Centenary College of Louisiana is a national liberal arts college in the heart of Shreveport. This college is deemed the oldest chartered liberal arts college west of the Mississippi River, founded in 1825.
Holoman said, “200 years is an amazing length of time…Centenary is older than time zones. Centenary is older than golden doodles.”
City of Shreveport mayor, Tom Arceneaux read the citywide proclamation and said, “I am thrilled to be here for more than one reason. One, I’m really glad that Centenary is 200 years old. And two I’m glad to be here 12 days after hip replacement surgery.”
Wednesday’s birthday party is just the start of year-long celebration of special events and gatherings. These events include:
- special exhibit at the College’s Meadows Museum of Art
- festive neighborhood party during the Krewe of Highland Mardi Gras parade
- alumni trip to Centenary’s original campus in Jackson, Louisiana
- campus art stroll showcasing the talents of the Centenary community
The bicentennial commemoration will conclude with a gala event, Spotlight Centenary, in December 2025.
To keep up with all the bicentennial year events visit centenary200.com.
Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.
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