The longtime face of New Orleans Mardi Gras is calling it a career. Arthur Hardy, the longtime publisher of the Mardi Gras Guide magazine, says after a half century, the 2026 edition will be his last.
“I’m 79. I’ll be 80 next year and at some point, you’ve got to leave the party. We figured our 50th anniversary Mardi Gras Guide was as good a time as any,” Hardy said.
Hardy says he’s at peace with his decision, and he has lots of post-retirement plans.
“A little bittersweet, but mostly sweet. I want to spend time traveling with my wife, and we have four grandchildren; two of them who live in Oslo, Norway,” Hardy said.
Hardy launched the Mardi Gras Guide with his wife in 1977 as a way to make it easy for people to keep up with parade schedules. He says while he always knew it was a great idea, it took a few years for it to really catch on.
“We almost threw in the towel several times. We didn’t break even till about four years in. It was a critical success and a financial disaster initially,” Hardy noted.
The Mardi Gras Guide is now published by Georges Media and will continue to bear Hardy’s name.
