NEW ORLEANS — Silence inside New OrleansThe famous French Quarter was first cut off Thursday morning by crews cleaning up the trash, and then Bourbon Street was cleared.
The goal was to reopen to pedestrians by the time the Sugar Bowl was up and running, 36 hours later. New Year’s Day Tragedy.
At 2:00 a.m. Thursday, the battered metal that once stood as a barricade was strewn across a Bourbon Street that otherwise looked like the aftermath of any other New Orleans celebration: filled with beads, confetti, takeout containers and bottles of alcohol.
By 6 a.m., Bourbon Street was clear.
Bourbon Street is shown on the morning of January 2, 2025, in New Orleans.
Ashley Riegle/ABC News
As the sun rose, businesses reopened, and a steady stream of tourists began to fill the French Quarter.
Although it was a sunny 60 degree day, a cloud of anxiety hung over the crowd, and the streets remained relatively quiet.
Then, around 11am, we heard our first trumpet.
Street musicians, known as buskers, are part of the fabric of New Orleans. Crowds stopped to listen to The Ohlson Family Roadshow as they played along Royal Street.
They thanked those who offered tips and asked for donations to funds for the victims of the terrorist attack.
A band plays in the French Quarter of New Orleans on January 2, 2025.
Ashley Riegle/ABC News
Aoleoin Broomfield was scheduled to perform after The Ohlson Family Roadshow. He was born and raised in New Orleans, and told ABC News they’re happy they decided to reopen the French Quarter for one day.
“I’m still feeling the effects of Katrina, as well as COVID,” he said. “We lost a lot of tourism, and a lot of businesses closed during COVID. I’d hate for another thing to happen.”
City and state officials also encouraged a quick return to daily life despite fears of terrorism. Law enforcement deployed additional assets in the French Quarter and Caesars Superdome, according to Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.
A man kneels in front of flowers and beads left in honor of the victims of the Bourbon Street bombing in New Orleans, January 2, 2025.
Ashley Riegle/ABC News
New barriers were put up on Bourbon Street as a reinforcement and, in a way, a reminder.
Doreen Ketchens performs with her band, Doreen’s Jazz New Orleans, for tourists in the French Quarter of New Orleans on January 2, 2025.
Trevor Hughes/USA Today Network via Imagn Images
After Georgia played Notre Dame to clinch a spot in the college football semifinals, fans would flock to the French Quarter after the final whistle, once again with a reason to celebrate.
A man blows his horn near a memorial cross near Bourbon Street on January 2, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana, the day after an attack by a man driving a truck on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
A night that ends with street cleaners regularly cleaning up Bourbon Street and a morning that begins with street musicians playing on the street would guarantee an even greater victory for the city of New Orleans and its enduring resilience.
“(Music) takes your mind off everything that’s going on, even if it’s temporary,” Broomfield said. “He’s on the mend,” she told us.
“I want things to be normal even though it’s not normal. So I like to play here to feel a little bit normal,” he said.
