Mardi Gras attendance expected to meet or exceed 2008 numbers . Hotel occupancy rates near 96 percent for Saturday night . `` Did n't know what to expect this year , but it appears that interest is high and people are acting on that decision in order to make Carnival part of their travel plans . '' The New Orleans Police Department is expecting a record number of arrests and citations this year as part of the city's effort to reduce crime in an area that has been plagued by violence since Hurricane Katrina hit
Mardi Gras attendance expected to meet or exceed 2008 numbers . Hotel occupancy rates near 96 percent for Saturday night . The New Orleans Police Department is expecting a record number of arrests and citations this year as part of the city's effort to reduce crime in an area that has been plagued by violence since Hurricane Katrina hit