ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
I live here in Washington, D.C., and I didn't know it's Mardi Gras in the nation's capital this weekend. Washington Mardi Gras, as it's known, is the top networking event for Louisiana politicos to rub shoulders with movers and shakers. But this year's unprecedented snowfall along the Gulf Coast is delaying a must-have seasonal staple, king cake. From member station WRKF in Louisiana, Brooke Thorington reports.
BROOKE THORINGTON, BYLINE: Carnival is a season in New Orleans that started January 6 this year. It's also king cake season, and some of the best come from Haydel's Bakery in New Orleans. It's made the round sugary sweet since 1959. But as the third week of carnival season began, Ryan Haydel says 8 inches of snow brought production to a screeching halt.
RYAN HAYDEL: It was fun to have snow for one day, but to be shut down for multiple days - everybody's ready to get back to work.
THORINGTON: The bakery would have shipped 2,000 cakes this week, and a portion of them were destined for the nation's capital. Louisiana Congressman Troy Carter is chair of the 76th Washington Mardi Gras that includes a big masquerade ball. He says, king cakes only sweeten the event.
TROY CARTER: That tasty little morsel is something that - people in Washington have been spoiled, as I, every year, send members of Congress a king cake as a part of sharing a little bit of Louisiana. And, of course, during Washington Mardi Gras, we have it on every table.
THORINGTON: The fresh cakes were supposed to arrive in D.C. earlier this week, but Haydel had to cancel its orders as the bakery was snowed in and the airport was closed for several days.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Medium or large?
THORINGTON: But as the roads cleared, things got cooking again Thursday. Ryan Haydel says, the D.C. king cake order made it into the mix.
HAYDEL: So there's still a possibility king cakes may make it to Washington for Mardi Gras there.
THORINGTON: Especially since flights resumed at the airport in New Orleans yesterday afternoon - so better late than never for the purple, green and gold confectionery, says Congressman Troy Carter.
CARTER: We've got our fingers crossed that that plane lands safely with our king cakes in tow.
THORINGTON: So it looks like this story may have a sweet ending after all. For NPR News. I'm Brooke Thorington in New Orleans.
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