Plastic beads remain a staple at most big Carnival parades, but there’s a growing number of New Orleans krewes that want to ban them due to environmental concerns. Producer Matt Bloom went to the Krewe of Freret’s parade, where leaders made plastic beads off limits for the first time – and found some eco-friendly alternatives. 

“Back to the Future: The Musical”, Alicia Keys’ “Hell’s Kitchen” and “The Great Gatsby” headline the 2025-26 Broadway season in New Orleans. David Skinner, general manager at the Saenger Theatre, tells us all about the musicals on deck for the upcoming season.  

Horses are a staple of Mardi Gras parades, but sometimes those horses don’t have a place to go after the parades are over. But the Humane Society of Louisiana has a program to help these horses get adopted, complete with a Facebook page with pictures of the horses looking for homes. 

HSLA board member Rena Sweeney tells us more about the Mardi Gras Horse Adoption program and volunteer opportunities.

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Today’s episode of Louisiana Considered was hosted by Diane Mack. Our managing producer is Alana Schreiber and our assistant producer is Aubry Procell. Our engineer is Garrett Pittman.

You can listen to Louisiana Considered Monday through Friday at noon and 7 p.m. It’s available on Spotify, the NPR app, and wherever you get your podcasts. 

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