A granddaughter’s tribute to Aminthe Laudumiey Nungesser
60 TREASURING
Former state official John Schroder
66 CARNIVAL CURTSY
The duke and duchess of Windsor bow to Mardi Gras
in 1950
76 MASKING SKELETON
“Sunpie”
Slice Of Carnival
Are parts of the Mardi Gras Ordinance unconstitutional?
88 DRAG IT
Carnival costumes conceal and reveal
100 KEEP
A look at 13 post Mardi Gras parades from St. Patrick’s Day to Easter 62, 77, 98, 99 DID YOU KNOW?
The original Bacchus, Rex captain rides a convertible, Largest Krewes, Zulu scores big, Krewe of Caputanians
Founder From the
BY ARTHUR HARDY
As we inch closer to the Mardi Gras Guide’s fiftieth anniversary next year, we find we still have not run out of things to say. So what’s in this year’s edition? Plenty, starting with profiles and maps of more than 50 major parading krewes in metro New Orleans, a history of Mardi Gras, and answers to the 25 most frequently asked questions, as well as a dictionary of terms.
Doug MacCash’s feature, “Mardi Gras For All Y’all” reminds me of what love about Mardi Gras and how it has evolved in a positive way through the years. His story includes a list of websites of krewes that offer membership opportunities.
Legal scholar Ron Krotoszynski Jr. takes a look at the city’s Mardi Gras Ordinance and cautions that some elements in it may be unconstitutional. He suggests that cooperation between the city and the krewes, rather than over regulation, is the way to improve the celebration.
It’s another big year for anniversaries with eight krewes celebrating them. Jimmy Clark, longtime contributor to this publication, tells us about the Elks Orleanians (90), Choctaw (90), Pontchartrain (50), Pygmalion (25), and Morpheus (25). Sarah Pagones profiles Slidell’s Krewe of Poseidon (10), St. Tammany’s largest parade. Doug MacCash explains the importance of Muses as it turns 25, while food critic Ian MacNulty salutes the Krewe of Cork on its silver anniversary. Victor Andrews writes about a preamble to the official Mardi Gras parade season, a big Super Bowl parade, scheduled on February 8, in conjunction with the NFL Championship game the next day. Who knows, some Super Bowl visitors might stay for or return two weeks later to get a taste of our signature celebration.
Our annual Across Louisiana section has expanded to include more parades and Carnival-related fun. For the first time ever, the Mardi Gras Guide provides coverage of 13 post- Fat Tuesday parades from Saint Patrick’s Day to Easter. Louisiana State Museum’s Wayne Phillips details the connection between Carnival and drag.
This year’s Royalty Gallery features photos from 40 different parading krewes. We also have a story about the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s historic 1950 Mardi Gras visit.
Carnival’s first lady, Aminthe Nungesser, founder of both the krewes of Iris and Venus, is fondly remembered by her granddaughter, Sandy Furano.
Former Louisiana Treasurer John Schroder and his passion for Mardi Gras, and Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes of Mardi Gras Skeleton fame are featured in this issue.
And in keeping with our mission to provide content found nowhere else, you’ll learn about the two times when the captain of Rex rode in a convertible, how the original Bacchus organization started in 1950, why the Krewe of Caputanians’ 1951 ball featured royalty from 20 krewes, how a UK comic book depicted Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and see special moments in the history of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club.
Peggy Rosefeldt’s annual nine-page Happenings section takes a deep dive into dozens of non-parading Mardi Gras events and traditions from Twelfth Night to Fat Tuesday and beyond.
My Mardi Gras Scene presents a review of last year and a preview of the 2025 season.
Mardi Gras in Orleans Parish, in its current iteration, is an embarrassment of riches—more quantity and quality than ever. But have we finally reached a saturation point? Backto-back parades are on the street too long, some ending well after midnight, causing parade fatigue for dues-paying float riders and weary parade goers, not to mention safety concerns. Last year three parades included more than 100 units (one had 149). More than one-third of the krewes that parade on St. Charles Avenue ignored the ordinance which limits parades to 12 units in front of the first float—elements such as Shriners’ scooters, riding lieutenants, flambeaux, parade trackers, bands, etc. One parade had 26, another 24, another 20.
Perhaps 2025 will see the krewes voluntarily reduce the number of units in their parades before the city takes action. And speaking of enforcement, how will the city see to it that new laws forbidding tents, canopies, porta-potties on private property, and open flame grills will be obeyed? These new rules could be game changers. Stay tuned.
49th ANNUAL EDITION 2025
Dedicated with love to our newest grandchildren, Hans and Sonja.
Born March 4, 2024, in Oslo, Norway
Arthur Hardy FOUNDER
David Johnson ART DIRECTOR
Kevin Hall
PUBLISHER
Brad Robertson EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Michael Chauvin VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES
Victor Andrews
Jimmy Clark
Sandy Furano
Ron Krotoszynski Jr.
Doug MacCash
Ian McNulty
Sara Pagones
Wayne Phillips
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Susan Hardy
Jan Freeman
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS
John Drury
CARTOGRAPHER EMERITUS
Adrienne Battistella STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Syndey Byrd
Brett Duke
Sophia Germer
David Grunfeld
Chris Granger
Scott Threlkeld
John Pope
Peggy Rosefeldt
Annette Sisco
Keith Spera
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
ABOUT THE COVER
The Mardi Gras Tree by David Johnson. There’s more to Carnival than parades, balls, and king cakes—we also love to decorate! When it’s time to take down the old Christmas tree, New Orleanians love to redecorate for the Mardi Gras season. Enter your tree this year in the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate’s Mardi Gras Tree Contest! See details on p. 17.
Whether you are a Mardi Gras veteran or a virgin, it’s good to have a checklist of items to help you survive the madness. The Mardi Gras Guide always recommends that visitors travel lightly. Comfortable footwear is a must. Leave the jewelry at home, along with your wallet and purse. Everyone accepts cash, so carry some in a safe place along with an ID.
Agree in advance on a meeting place should you get separated from your group.
A poncho is easier to pack than an umbrella. A small backpack can carry snacks and a flask, as well as plastic bags for throws. We suggest hand sanitizers and toilet tissue for reasons that will become obvious on the first trip to any port-o-let.
The fun-filled experience of Carnival can be accident-free with a bit of careful planning and common sense. The most serious threat comes from the floats themselves. Never allow children to reach in front of or beneath these 10-ton vehicles. Float riders are encouraged to toss their throws away from the floats and to avoid throwing while in the formation and disbanding areas.
Although several hundred portable potties are placed along the parade routes, finding a restroom on Fat Tuesday, especially in the over-crowded French Quarter, can be next to impossible. Plan ahead.
Drinking from metal or glass containers is forbidden, as is the tossing of throws from French Quarter balconies. It is illegal to throw anything at a float or a float-rider.
Finding on-street parking can be a serious problem during the parade season. Your car may be ticketed, and in some cases towed, for parking along a parade route two hours before or after a parade; for parking in the wrong direction; for blocking a sidewalk; for parking too close to a fire hydrant, driveway, or crosswalk. If in doubt, don’t. Use good judgment regarding the types of food packed for the all-day Fat Tuesday picnic and the masks the kids wear—good vision is essential at a Mardi Gras parade.
Children should be instructed to report to the nearest police officer if they get lost.
In order to provide children with a better position from which to view parades, parents frequently station them on top of modified stepladders. Parade ladders should never be tied together or children left alone on them. In an effort to reduce injury should the ladders topple toward the street, local ordinances dictate that parade ladders be stationed six feet from the curb.
Victor Andrews has covered arts and entertainment and lifestyles in New Orleans for newspapers, magazines, and websites for more than 35 years. A native of Gonzales, Louisiana, he is a graduate of Louisiana State University and has worked in south Louisiana his entire career. He has covered every aspect of Mardi Gras across the state.
Stevie Cavalier is a branded-content writer with Georges Media Group. After earning her MFA in film production from the University of New Orleans, she taught for several years at Tulane University and worked in the independent film industry. Stevie enjoys working and living in the New Orleans area.
Native New Orleanian Jimmy Clark, writing under the name “Marty McGraw” in 1974, was the first published parade critic in Carnival. He owned a Mardi Gras throw company, J. Clark Promotions. Clark has contributed more than 60 features to Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide, and he has authored history books for the krewes of Iris and Cleopatra.
Sandy Zollinger Furano, an LSU 1972 graduate, ventured west and made California her home for over 55 years. There, she married rock ‘n’ roll tour manager legend, Dave Furano. Just two years ago, Sandy returned home to her rich heritage and roots in New Orleans. Encouraged by her siblings, she and her husband restored a 130-year-old home, not far from where she was born. Ron Krotoszynski Jr. has published op-eds in the New York Times, Washington Post, Atlantic, Slate, Politico, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Seattle Times, and Times-Picayune. He teaches at the University of Alabama School of Law and has written many books and articles about the First Amendment, most recently Free Speech as Civic Structure: A Comparative Analysis of How Courts and Culture Shape the Freedom of Speech (Oxford 2024).
Over the years, he has participated as a masker with four New Orleans krewes and currently rides annually in two parades.
For 25 years Doug MacCash has been an entertainment reporter with The Times-Picayune and Advocate newspapers. He’s long considered many aspects of Carnival – float design, costuming, and dance troupes – to be unique artforms. MacCash is the author of the book Mardi Gras Beads and contributed the text to the book Porches on Parade: How House Floats Saved Mardi Gras.
Amanda McElfresh has worked in journalism and marketing in South Louisiana since 2005. She is a native of St. Mary Parish and earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Louisiana State University. She is based in Lafayette and works on Georges Media Group projects across the state.
Ian McNulty is a writer for The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate, covering restaurants and food culture. He is the author of Louisiana Rambles, a travel narrative about south Louisiana, and A Season of Night, an account of the first months in the city after Hurricane Katrina.
Sara Pagones was a longtime reporter and editorial writer for The Times-Picayune before joining The Advocate in 2012 as the managing editor of the newspaper’s first New Orleans newsroom. She has been a familiar presence in local theater for more than two decades as an actress, singer, and director. Sara lives in St. Tammany Parish.
Wayne Phillips has served as the Curator of Costumes and Textiles and Curator of Carnival Collections at the Louisiana State Museum since 1998. Phillips is responsible for a collection of more than 50,000 museum artifacts, including an encyclopedic collection of items documenting all aspects of Louisiana Carnival celebrations. He has curated numerous historical exhibitions on the subject of Carnival and other topics and is a regular contributor to Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide, New Orleans Magazine, and 64 Parishes.
John Pope, a reporter in New Orleans since 1973, was a member of The Times-Picayune team that won two Pulitzer Prizes and a George Polk Award for coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. He is the author of Getting Off at Elysian Fields: Obituaries from the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Pope has spent much of his career writing about Carnival parades and krewes and, more recently, delivering online commentary on the Rex parade.
Peggy Rosefeldt has compiled the Happenings listings for Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide since 2004, watching their expansion to 40 events and 90 marching groups. Trained as a costume designer, her credits include costumes for Carnival, opera, and theatre. She has published articles in Costume Research Journal (CRJ) and in Theatre Design and Technology (TD&T), where she served as Associate Editor and General Editor. Her award-winning article on New Orleans-born costume designer Lucinda Ballard covered her contributions to the major works of playwright Tennessee Williams.
Annette Sisco has worked for more than 25 years as a reporter, columnist, and editor at New Orleans newspapers and currently serves as features editor of The Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate and NOLA.com. Annette is a native of Louisville, Kentucky, and a graduate of the Indiana University School of Journalism in Bloomington.
Keith Spera attended his first Carnival parade as a toddler and now takes his kids to parades. Since joining The Times-Picayune staff in 1996, he has interviewed everyone from Jerry Seinfeld to Janet Jackson to Billy Joel. He was part of the newspaper’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Hurricane Katrina coverage team, winner of numerous national feature-writing awards, and the author of Groove Interrupted: Loss, Renewal, and the Music of New Orleans.
Andrews
Clark
Krotoszynski
McElfresh
Arthur Hardy answers the 25 most frequently asked questions about Mardi Gras
Q: How Big is Mardi Gras?
A: Very big. Recent economic impact studies have indicated the celebration generates more than a half-billion dollars in annual spending. The 2023 Carnival season included 53 parades in a three-parish (county) area and featured a total of 1,061 floats, 588 marching bands, 3,750 total parade units and more than 135,000 participants. The combined parade routes covered 301 miles and the processions were on the street for 204 hours.
Q: Is Mardi Gras Really X-rated?
A: No, it is not. Unfortunately, the wild antics of visiting coeds on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter have gained such publicity that they have become the national image of Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras is generally a safe, G-rated event enjoyed by families. The festivities provide an opportunity for adults to act like kids again.
Q: What Makes Mardi Gras Parades Different?
A: Throws! Baubles tossed from floats turn New Orleans parades into crowd participation events. It is not uncommon for a float rider to spend $1,000 or more on beads, cups, and doubloons, which are freely thrown to parade viewers.
Q: Is Mardi Gras Staged for Visitors?
A: Not really. While the “greatest free show on earth” draws hundreds of thousands of visitors, that is not its purpose. Mardi Gras is a party the city throws for itself. It has developed into a world-class tourist attraction, yet the City of New Orleans doesn’t spend a cent promoting it.
Q: What Companies Sponsor Mardi Gras?
A: They don’t. Mardi Gras is the only entertainment venue in the world where the stars foot the bill and the audience gets a free ride. By tradition and by law, Mardi Gras parades in New Orleans may not be corporately sponsored. Carnival clubs
are chartered as non-profit organizations. They are financed by dues, by the sale of krewe-emblemed merchandise to the members, and by fund-raising projects such as bingos.
Q: Who Coordinates Mardi Gras?
A: No one. While the police department issues parade permits, there is no overall authority that coordinates the five dozen parades held in the metro area during the 12 days that precede Fat Tuesday. Each parading organization is completely autonomous.
Q: Why Are There No Parades in the French Quarter?
A: For 117 years, nearly every New Orleans Mardi Gras parade rolled through the French Quarter. In 1973 the fire and police departments felt that the increased size of parade floats and the crowds that gathered to see them rendered the narrow streets unsafe, so the city issued a ban on parades in that historic area.
Q: Why Can’t I Buy an Official Mardi Gras Poster?
A: There is no such thing. Unlike the Olympics or the Super Bowl, there is no governing authority to license products. Mardi Gras is like Christmas and Halloween—it belongs to everyone. Beware of any item that bears the title “official.” Free enterprise reigns supreme over Mardi Gras, making it a virtual paradise for entrepreneurs who compete for counter space and the attention of the public.
Q: What’s the Difference between Carnival and Mardi Gras?
A: Carnival refers to the season of merriment which always begins on January 6. Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is the single culminating day of Carnival. It is always the day before Ash Wednesday.
Q: Is Mardi Gras Really Connected to Religion?
A: Yes. The Catholic Church licensed Carnival, which means
“farewell to flesh,” as a period of feasting before the fasting of Lent. The Church also established the set date for the start of the Carnival season—January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany— and the fluctuating date of Mardi Gras.
Q: Why Does the Date of Mardi Gras Change?
A: Because it’s connected to the moveable date of Easter, which can fall on any Sunday from March 23 to April 25. Mardi Gras is scheduled 47 days before Easter and can occur on any Tuesday from February 3 through March 9.
Q: When Was the First Mardi Gras Parade Held in New Orleans?
A: On February 24, 1857. The Mistick Krewe of Comus, Carnival’s first secret society, coined the word “krewe” and was the first to choose a mythological namesake, to present a themed parade with floats, and to follow it with a tableaux ball.
Q: What Are Balls and Why Can’t I Go?
Q: Is It True Mobile, Alabama, Celebrated Mardi Gras before New Orleans?
A: Yes and no. New Orleans’s first Carnival krewe was founded in 1857 by former members of Mobile’s Cowbellian de Rakin Society, which was founded in 1830. However, Mobile’s parades were held on New Year’s Eve until 1868, when they switched to Fat Tuesday.
Q: Do I Have to Mask?
A: No, but you should, at least on Fat Tuesday, the only day when street masking is legal (from dawn to dusk). Masking, which can be elaborate or makeshift, dates from Roman carnivals when assuming false identifies was a common practice. By law, float riders must be masked at all times.
Q: Krewes Are Named after What?
A: The colorful worlds of Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology are the sources of nearly half of the parading krewe names. Other clubs are named after the neighborhoods through which they travel, while some are named after historical figures or places.
A: Carnival balls are private formal affairs (tuxedos and long gowns required) and are by invitation only. Bals Masque (masked balls) in New Orleans predate the first parade by more than a century. More than 125 private balls are presented each season in the grand ballrooms of major hotels. Mock royalty reigns over each ball, where a king, queen, maids, and dukes are presented. In the older society krewes, the court is made up of debutantes. Some clubs stage “tableaux” (theatrical scenes) enacted by krewe members, and favors are given to special guests. Krewes such as Bacchus, Orpheus, Endymion, and Zulu have replaced the traditional ball with large scale parties presented at the Caesars Superdome and at the Morial Convention Center. Tickets are sold to these events.
Syndey Byrd
Q: Has Mardi Gras Ever Been Canceled?
A: Yes, but not often. Since 1857, only 14 Fat Tuesdays have been affected. Most cancelations were caused by wars: Civil, WWI, WWII and Korean, and by Covid in 2021.
Q: What Do the Carnival Colors Mean?
A: Purple represents justice, green stands for faith, and gold signifies power. Rex, the King of Carnival, selected them in 1872 for his first parade. While they were probably chosen simply because they looked good together and followed the rules of heraldry, Rex assigned a meaning to each in his 1892 parade, entitled Symbolism of Colors.
Q: What’s the Theme for this Year?
A: There is no general theme for Mardi Gras. Each individual parade depicts a specific subject. The floats then reflect the krewe’s theme for that year. Maskers are costumed in a manner that illustrates the overall parade theme and the individual float title. Among the more popular subjects have been history, children’s stories, legends, geography, famous people, entertainment, mythology, and literature.
Q: How Do I Get to be King?
A: If you’re not a krewe member or a celebrity, you don’t. The method of selecting Mardi Gras royalty varies from krewe to krewe. The King of Carnival is chosen by the inner circle of the School of Design, the sponsoring organization for the Rex parade. Some krewes hold random drawings to pick their king or queen. Most clubs charge the selected monarch a fee to reign. In several of the newer krewes, elaborate ceremonies called “coronation balls” are staged to crown royalty.
NATIVE TONGUE
BALL (bal masque, tableau ball)
— a masked ball in which scenes representing a specific theme are enacted for the entertainment of the club members and their guests; krewe “royalty” is traditionally presented during the ball.
CAPTAIN — the absolute leader of each Carnival organization.
BOEUF GRAS (French) — the fatted bull or ox, the ancient symbol of the last meat eaten before the Lenten season of fasting; a live version was presented in the Rex parade until 1909; a papier mache
version appeared in 1959 and continues as one of Carnival’s most recognizable symbols.
CARNIVAL — from the Latin carnivale, loosely translated as “farewell to flesh”; the season of merriment in New Orleans which begins annually on January 6, the Twelfth Night (the feast of the Epiphany), and ends at midnight on Fat Tuesday; the Carnival season
leads up to the penitential season of Lent in which fasting replaces feasting.
COURT — the king, queen, maids, and dukes of a Carnival organization.
DEN — a large warehouse where floats are built and stored.
DOUBLOONS — aluminum coinlike objects bearing the krewe’s insignia on one side and the parade’s theme on the reverse; they were first introduced by Rex in 1960 and created by New Orleans artist H. Alvin Sharpe; doubloons are also minted and sold in .999 silver, bronze, and cloisonne.
Q: Is Secrecy Still a Part of Carnival?
A: Yes. While many Carnival clubs are fairly accessible (many even have websites), some maintain the tradition of secrecy that has been a part of Mardi Gras since its earliest days. A unique custom in the older organizations is that the king’s name is never made public. An exception is Rex, whose name is revealed the day before his parade. And while many in the media know his identity days in advance, the embargo on publishing it has never been violated.
Q: What about Celebrities?
A: The Krewe of Bacchus began the tradition of selecting celebrity kings with its first parade in 1969, when Danny Kaye reigned. Endymion and Orpheus also annually invite guest celebrities to ride in their parades. Some of the more popular stars to have appeared are Bob Hope, Dolly Parton, Wayne Newton, John Goodman, Jackie Gleason, Britney Spears, Kirk Douglas, Harry Connick Jr., Nicholas Cage, and the Beach Boys. In most cases visiting stars are not paid to ride, although the krewes do cover their expenses.
Q: Is the Success of Mardi Gras Measured by the Amount of Trash Collected?
A: No. Before the age of recycling, the success of Mardi Gras in Orleans Parish was sometimes jokingly measured by the amount of trash collected by the New Orleans Sanitation Department. For several years in the late 1980s, the total for the 12-day parading season topped the 2,000-ton mark.
Q: Is Mardi Gras Elitist?
A: Not anymore. While wealthy white males once controlled Carnival, Mardi Gras is one of the nation’s most diverse and inclusive institutions, and it offers a rich cultural experience to participants and spectators.
FAVOR a souvenir, given by krewe members to friends attending the ball, normally bearing the organization’s insignia, name, and year of issue.
FLAMBEAUX (plural) — Naphthafueled torches, traditionally carried by white-robed black men; in past centuries, flambeaux provided the only source of nighttime parade illumination.
a printed request for attendance at a Carnival ball; in the 19th century, many invitations were die-cut and printed in Paris; today, most are printed in New Orleans; invitations are nontransferable, and it is improper to ever refer to them as “tickets.” refer
KING CAKE — an oval-shaped, sugared pastry that contains a plastic doll hidden inside; the person who finds the doll is crowned “king” and buys the next cake or throws the next party; the king cake season opens on King’s Day, January 6, the feast of the Epiphany. More than 750,000 king cakes are annually consumed in metro New Orleans during the Carnival season.
KREWE — the generic term for all Carnival organizations in New Orleans, first used by the Mistick Krewe of Comus, which coined the word in 1857 to give its club’s name an Old English flavor.
LUNDI GRAS — French for Fat Monday. From 1874 to 1917, the day before Mardi Gras was celebrated by the arrival of Rex aboard a steamboat. The custom
was revived in 1987, and Lundi Gras now includes Carnival activities staged by Zulu and Rex.
MARDI GRAS — French for Fat
Tuesday, the single-day culmination of the Carnival season, which annually begins on January 6.
MARDI GRAS INDIANS — groups of black men in New Orleans whose dress resembles American Indians’. They are magnificently outfitted with handmade beaded and feathered costumes; this Carnival custom dates to the late19th century; among the more legendary tribes are the Wild Tchoupitoulas, the Creole Wild West, and the Yellow Pocahontas.
THROWS — inexpensive trinkets tossed from floats by costumed and masked krewe members; among the more popular items are krewe-emblemed aluminum doubloons, plastic cups, and white pearl necklaces. Throws are tossed in response to the cry, “Throw me something, mister!”
NE W?
Just released, just added, just created especially for Mardi Gras!
KID’S STUFF
A new children’s book has been recently published, Carnival Time In My Mind In the colorful 32-page hardback, author Abby Roniger reminisces about the celebration she experienced as a child and the magic it still stirs in residents of New Orleans and tourists that visit each year. Illustrations are by Eleanora Pitard. pelicanpub.com
POTTY HUMOR
The sassy Krewe of Tucks has added another element to its fun-loving parade— the Tucks Toilet Scooters. One dozen of them will roll near the front of the 2025 parade. Each bears the motto, Pro Bono POOblico.
UNISEX RUGBY AND DRESS
New this year to the famous PERLIS Crawfish Collection are the multi block stripe unisex rugby shirt and ladies dress, both 100% cotton jersey with white cotton twill collar, true rubber rugby buttons, and featuring the iconic embroidered PERLIS crawfish logo. Made in the USA. Available at PERLIS locations in Uptown New Orleans, French Quarter, Mandeville, Baton Rouge and perlis.com.
NEW CARNIVAL PARADE?
When is a Mardi Gras parade not a Mardi Gras parade? When it rolls as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. Slidell’s new Krewe of Majestic has all the trappings of a Carnival parade including floats, bands, throws, and royalty. Look for them on Saturday, January 24, at 11 A.M. with the theme Majestic Gras, featuring 10 floats, seven dance teams, three marching bands, two car clubs, and two horse riding clubs. Royalty includes King Majestic I, Kevin J. McCathen, and Queen Majestic I, Amanda Taylor-Gradney. www.majestickrewe.com
Since the first parade rolled in1857, Mardi Gras has survived world wars, yellow fever epidemics, and political uprisings because man’s need to celebrate is universal and unstoppable.
THE HISTORY OF
BY ARTHUR HARDY
he celebration of Mardi Gras came to North America from France where it had been celebrated since the Middle Ages. In 1699, French explorer Iberville and his men explored the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico. On a spot 60 miles south of the present location of New Orleans, they set up camp on the river’s West Bank. Knowing that the day, March 3, was being celebrated as a major holiday in Paris, they christened the site Point du Mardi Gras.
But Mardi Gras’s roots predate the French. Many see a relationship to the ancient tribal rituals of fertility that welcomed the arrival of Spring. A possible ancestor of the celebration was the Lupercalia, a circus-like orgy held in mid-February in Rome. The early Church fathers, realizing that it was impossible to divorce their new converts from their pagan customs, decided instead to direct them into Christian channels. Thus Carnival was created as a period of merriment that would serve as a prelude to the penitential season of Lent.
In the late 1700s pre-Lenten balls and fetes were held in New Orleans. Under French rule masked balls flourished, but were later banned by the Spanish governors. The prohibition continued when New Orleans became an American city in 1803, but by 1823, the Creole populace prevailed upon the American governor, and balls were again permitted. Four years later street masking was officially made legal.
In the early 19th century, the public celebration of Mardi Gras consisted mainly of maskers on foot, in carriages, and on horseback. In 1837, a costumed group of revelers walked in the first documented “parade,” but the violent behavior of maskers during the next two decades caused the press to call for an end to Mardi Gras. Fortunately, six New Orleanians who were former members of the Cowbellians (a group that had presented New Year’s Eve parades in Mobile since 1831) saved the New Orleans Mardi Gras by forming the Comus organization in 1857. The men beautified the celebration and proved that it could be enjoyed in a safe and festive manner. Comus coined the word “krewe” and established several Mardi Gras traditions by forming a secret Carnival society, choosing a mythological namesake, presenting a themed parade with floats and costumed maskers, and staging a tableau ball following its parade.
After the Civil War, Comus returned to the parade scene in 1866. Four years later, the Twelfth Night Revelers debuted. This unique group made Carnival history at its 1871 ball when a young woman was presented with a golden bean hidden inside a giant cake, signifying her selection as Mardi Gras’s first queen and starting the “king cake” tradition.
Since 1916, the Krewe of Zulu never fails to entertain on Mardi Gras morning, taunting the crowds with their highly-prized Zulu coconuts.
A visit by the Russian Grand Duke Alexis Romanoff was the partial inspiration for the first appearance of Rex in 1872. The King of Carnival immediately became the international symbol of Mardi Gras. Rex presented Mardi Gras’s first organized daytime parade, selected Carnival’s colors—purple, gold, and green—produced its flag, and introduced its anthem, “If Ever I Cease To Love.” On New Year’s Eve 1872, the Knights of Momus also entered the Carnival scene. Several Carnival parades in the 1870s ridiculed the government in Washington, D.C., and the Carpetbagger administration in Louisiana.
The popular Krewe of Proteus debuted in 1882 with a glittering parade that saluted Egyptian Mythology. The Jefferson City Buzzards, the grandfather of all marching clubs, was formed in 1890. The first black Mardi Gras organization, the Original Illinois Club, was launched in 1894. Two years later, Les Mysterieuses, Carnival’s first female group, was founded and presented a spectacular
Leap Year ball.
The final year of that century saw snow in New Orleans on Fat Tuesday, which fell on St. Valentine’s Day. Legend has it that Rex paraded with a frozen mustache!
One of the first and most beloved krewes to make its appearance in the 20th century was Zulu. Seven years before its incorporation in 1916, this black organization poked fun at Rex. The first Zulu king ruled with a banana stalk scepter and a lard can crown. While Rex entered the city via a Mississippi River steamboat, Zulu used an oyster lugger to plow up the New Basin Canal.
The 20th century brought with it some difficult years. World War I canceled Carnival in 1918-1919, but Mardi Gras survived this struggle, along with the Prohibition of the Twenties and the Great Depression of the Thirties.
In 1934 Carnival festivities hit the West Bank of the Mississippi with the first Alla parade. Random truck riders were organized into the Elks Krewe of Orleanians in 1935. The Krewe of Hermes and the Knights of Babylon were organized in 1937 and 1939, respectively.
In the Forties a new spirit of Mardi Gras was ushered in, pausing only for the United States’s involvement overseas. Before World War II canceled four Carnivals, the first women’s parade graced the streets of New Orleans with the Krewe of Venus’s inaugural pageant in 1941. New Orleans’s favorite son, Louis Armstrong, returned home to ride as King of the Zulu parade in 1949. In honor of the event, Satchmo’s likeness made the cover of Time magazine.
The Fifties provided international publicity and continued expansion of Mardi Gras. Real royalty, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, honored the make-believe Monarchs of Merriment as they bowed to Rex and Comus at the 1950 Comus ball. The next year the Korean conflict canceled much of Carnival, but several krewes combined to form the Krewe of Patria, which paraded on Fat Tuesday. After nearly a century of mule-drawn floats, tractors replaced the faithful beasts. The decade also saw the formation of other krewes, including Zeus, the first suburban club, which paraded in Metairie. The Sixties were characterized by turbulence
and change. The early years saw the Greater New Orleans Tourist Commission try to convince the hippies that the title “Greatest Free Show on Earth” was not to be taken literally. The “Easy Rider” generation had City Hall worried, and rumors that the infamous Hell’s Angels were going to roll into town and crash Carnival had the entire town uptight. Nothing negative happened, and Carnival continued without incident.
Pete Fountain started his Half-Fast Walking Club in 1961, and it quickly became a hit with Fat Tuesday crowds. Thinking that the antics of the Krewe of Zulu were undignified, portions of the black community put pressure on the group. Its king resigned and the 1961 parade was almost canceled. Not only did Zulu survive, however, but by 1969, its parade was also a main attraction on Canal Street. Finally, just as the decade had begun with the historic introduction of the Rex doubloon, so did the period end with another landmark event—the start of the Bacchus organization. The krewe’s founders, feeling that the traditional Mardi Gras institutions had become static, wanted to attract national attention and make Carnival more accessible. In 1969, Bacchus shook the establishment by presenting the largest floats in Carnival history, by having a Hollywood celebrity ride as its king (Danny Kaye), and by presenting, in place of the traditional ball, a supper dance to which tickets could be
purchased by both locals and visitors. These innovations proved immensely popular and were to be copied by several future Carnival organizations in New Orleans.
Carnival’s growth continued throughout the Seventies with the birth of 18 new parading krewes, and, ironically, the death of 18 others.
More than one dozen clubs featured celebrities in their parades. Argus brought a Fat Tuesday parade to Metairie, and Endymion tranformed into a super-krewe in 1974. A ban on parading through the French Quarter ended a 117-year tradition, and a moratorium of new parade permits put a temporary cap on expansion in Orleans Parish. The decade ended with a police strike in New Orleans, causing the cancellation of 13 Mardi Gras parades in
Krewe of Endymion exploded into a super krewe in 1974 and remains one of the largest spectacles in Carnival.
by
first “super krewe.”
The
The arrival of Bacchus shook the establishment in 1969
presenting Hollywood celebrities as kings and gigantic floats, which made them the city’s
Syndey Byrd
Orleans Parish. Twelve parades rescheduled in the suburbs.
The decade of the 1980s saw the dawn of 27 new parades and the demise of 19. The Mardi Gras parade calendar shrank drastically in St. Bernard Parish, while in St. Tammany and Jefferson Parishes, Carnival continued to grow. By 1989, more than 600,000 people annually attended parades on the east and west banks of Jefferson Parish on Fat Tuesday.
Feeling the need for better safety measures and more coordination of Carnival activities, the Mayor of New Orleans formed a Mardi Gras Task Force to study all aspects of the celebration. In 1987, Rex resurrected “Lundi Gras,” the customary Monday arrival on the Mississippi River which the group had enjoyed from 1874 to 1917. The traditional tableau ball, once an essential activity for all parading krewes, lost its popularity, with only about 10 of the 60-plus clubs still retaining a bal masque format by the decade’s end.
Doubloons lost some of their luster as several krewes stopped minting them. Krewe-emblemed throws of every imaginable variety gained popularity, however, with imprinted cups leading the pack.
Perhaps the greatest change in Mardi Gras in the 1980s was the tremendous increase in tourism during the Carnival season. Conventions which once had avoided New
Orleans at Mardi Gras used the celebration as a reason to assemble here. International media attention was focused on Mardi Gras in the late 1980s, with camera crews from Japan, Europe, and Latin America showcasing the festivities.
Mardi Gras also became a year-round industry as more off-season conventions experienced the joys of Carnival when they were treated to mini-parades and repeat balls held in the city’s convention facilities.
Historians may one day record the decade of the Nineties as a pivotal one in Carnival history.
While an in-depth economic impact study revealed that Mardi Gras’s annual economic impact finally neared the billion dollar mark, political intervention decreased the size and scope of the celebration. Shortly before the 1992 season, a New Orleans city ordinance was enacted that required all parading krewes to open their private membership. While Rex opened its membership, Comus, Momus and Proteus protested the government’s intrusion by canceling their parades. Eleven new parades debuted in the nineties, while 15 folded. The Krewe of Orpheus, led by Harry Connick Jr., was an instant hit and quickly assumed super-krewe status.
The birth of Le Krewe D’Etat and the Ancient Druids, plus the triumphant return of the Krewe of Proteus in 2000, were highlights as Mardi Gras marched on into the new millennium.
This year was also the first when the economic impact of Carnival crossed the one billion dollar mark. The next year, the all-female krewe of Muses debuted to an excited crowd.
The horrific events of September 11, 2001, impacted Mardi Gras by reducing the number of visitors in subsequent years.
In 2002, some 15 parades were pushed back one week to avoid a conflict with the rescheduled Super Bowl in New Orleans. In a hotly negotiated settlement, Orleans Parish krewes whose parades were displaced were reimbursed $20,000 each for their losses.
The first decade of the 21st century may be remembered as a time of consolidation and improvement of the existing product rather than the addition of more and more parades. Citing a dramatic rise in the demand for city services—police, sanitation, emergency— local governments sought ways to raise
revenue and reduce costs. A moratorium on new parades in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes had been issued.
In 2003 an economic impact study showed that the City of New Orleans spent $4.7 million on Mardi Gras-related services and earned $21.3 million in direct tax revenues.
In 2004 tourism officials tried to redirect the image of Mardi Gras as an R-rated event, pointing out that the breast-baring “Girls Gone Wild” phenomenon was limited to the French Quarter where no parades have rolled in decades.
Accidents involving throws and floats caused lawsuits to be filed and insurance rates to rise in 2004. Carnival experienced three consecutive years of poor weather as rain affected parades in 2003, 2004, and 2005.
The move toward personalized throws continued at a fever pitch as Carnival clubs introduced expensive and unique items that bore their logo. Plush figures and lighted (and talking) beads replaced doubloons and cups as the most popular throws.
As the city was poised to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, Hurricane Katrina devastated the town, and the future of the holiday was in doubt. After much discussion and debate about the appropriateness of the event in light of the tragedy, the citizens decided to celebrate in 2006 rather than surrender.
The parade schedule was shortened from 11 days to eight, seven krewes chose not to parade, routes were shortened, and many parades were small. But the big story was that Mardi Gras survived and was incredibly successful. Unprecedented philanthropic activity surrounded Carnival with krewes making contributions to Katrina-relief efforts.
Many floats carried and honored first responders and other heroes of the storm. In the true spirit of New Orleans, the city also laughed at itself with satirical parade themes and costumed maskers that poked fun at Mother Nature, FEMA, and politicians.
Mardi Gras 2006 was described as the most important celebration ever. It proved to the doubting world that New Orleans was down, but not out.
The following three years, Mardi Gras
bounced back by presenting full seasons of parades that resembled pre-Katrina Carnivals more than the abbreviated 2006 version of the celebration. Mardi Gras 2010 was made even more special because it coincided with a Super Bowl victory by the New Orleans Saints. For one year only black and gold replaced purple, green, and gold; and who dat replaced throw me something, mister.
As the second decade of the new century ended, Carnival in the metro region contracted in the number of parades. The consolidation of parade routes also escalated as City and Parish governments became proactive in trying to reduce costs associated with parades. While a few smaller krewes experienced drops in membership, the super krewes gained riders, with the all-female clubs gaining dominance. There was also growth in the number and popularity of alternative krewes that roll in the weeks leading up to the regular parade season.
The COVID pandemic wiped out the Carnival season of 2021, but the celebration made a comeback in 2022. The 2024 Carnival season was declared the largest and most successful in history. Despite the changes through the years, Mardi Gras continues to embody the spirit of New Orleans and her people, who choose to celebrate in good times and bad.
Led by singer Harry Connick Jr., the Krewe of Orpheus first burst onto the scene in 1994 and quickly achieved super-krewe status.
Syndey Byrd
Le Krewe d’Etat debuted in 1997 entertaining Carnival crowds with irreverent political satire.
Mardi Gras
Many parading organizations in the metro area offer membership opportunities through their websites.
Alla kreweofalla.net
Antheia kreweofantheia.com
Argus kreweofargus.com
Athena kreweofathena.org
Centurions kreweofcenturions.com
Choctaw kreweofchoctaw.com
Cleopatra kreweofcleopatra.org
Dionysus kreweofdionysus.com
Eve kreweofeve.wixsite.com/my-site
Excalibur kreweofexcalibur.com
Femme Fatale mkfemmefatale.org
Freret kreweoffretert.org
King Arthur kreweofkingarthur.com
Legion of Mars Legionofmars.com
MadHatters madhatters.com
Mid-City kreweofmid-city.com
Morpheus kreweofmorpheus.com
Music Mkom.org
Nandi kreweofnandi.org
Nefertitti kreweofnefertiti.org
Nemesis knightsofnemesis.org
NOMTOC nomtoc.com
Okeanos kreweofokenos.org
Olympia kreweofolympia.net
Orpheus kreweoforphues.com
Pontchartrain kofp.com
Poseidon poseidonslidell.com
Pygmalion kreweofpygmalion.org
Selene kreweofselene.net
Titans facebook.com/KreweofTitans
Tucks kreweoftucks.com
For All Y’all
Carnival Participation at an All-Time High
BY DOUG MACCASH
The age-old Mardi Gras saying has never been truer: In New Orleans, half the people watch the parade, and the other half are in the parade. It may be easier than ever to find your place on one side or another.
Carnival has never been bigger. After last year’s Mardi Gras, James Reiss III, a former Rex and co-chairman of the Mayor’s Mardi Gras Advisory Committee, said that “demand to ride in a parade and participate in the walking krewes has gotten to an all-time high level.”
So much so that city services are having a harder and harder time keeping up. But the financial and logistical challenge may be the product of a positive social evolution.
If you could take a snapshot of Carnival 50 years ago and compare it to Carnival today, you’d find an increase in non-White ridership, in female participation, and open LGBTQ involvement.
You would also find that the geography of the celebration has greatly expanded with almost as many krewes parading in adjacent parishes as in New Orleans.
There are social divisions that still affect Carnival, as they do all aspects of life. But consider the ascent of The Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale. Established in 2013, the 1,500-member krewe describes itself as “the first krewe founded by African American women for African American women, but all women are welcome.” Femme Fatale simultaneously represents an antidote to the racism and sexism that was once more common along the route.
In fact, four of the top 10 krewes by membership are women’s groups: Femme Fatale, Iris, Cleopatra, and Muses. The largest? Iris, with 3,660 women. And, of the nine new parading krewes founded the past 10 years, seven are predominantly Black.
The truth is that most Carnival organizations have been integrated for years.
The 93-year-old predominantly White Krewe of Alla, Carnival’s fifth-oldest parading club, will, for the first time, feature Black royalty in 2025. Other such clubs to do so since 2014 include Excalibur, Freret, King Arthur, Little Rascals, Pontchartrain, Selene, Sparta, and Titans.
From an economic point of view, the business of Mardi Gras engages a large and diverse workforce.
And, in terms of parade participation — especially since Hurricane Katrina
in 2005 — there’s been a surge in elaborate walking parades and marching groups, which are less expensive options for participation than riding in the major float parades.
Take the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus for instance. The cost to join the science fiction-oriented costuming club starts at a mere $42 and rises somewhat as parade day approaches. In its 14th year, the krewe has become a major feature of the early Mardi Gras season, routinely drawing more than 2,000 participants and enormous crowds of spectators.
Chewbacchus may be a model of future Carnival inclusiveness. The spectacularly costumed Queer Eye for the Sci-Fi subkrewe is one of the very few overtly LGBTQ-oriented Carnival marching groups. And, celebrating its 10th year, the STOMP Troopers subkrewe provides a well-supported opportunity for teens and tweens on the autism spectrum to join the parade.
But what’s the situation on the other side of the curb, where we, the viewers, stand?
There too, Carnival has probably never been bigger. Figures for Carnival attendance are eternally imprecise, because there’s no turnstile on the parade routes. (Is there another entertainment venue in the world that charges no admission and provides free gifts to take home?) But most onlookers agree that attendance at the big party seems significantly greater than it was a half-century ago.
Along the St. Charles Avenue and Orleans Avenue neutral grounds and elsewhere, parade spectators have long erected
patchwork picnic grounds that make it difficult for other paradegoers to get near the route. In 2024, the New Orleans City Council addressed the perennial problem by banning tents, portable toilets, barbecue grills and such. It remains to be seen if the new ordinances diminish the wall of homesteaders.
Even the invisible, worldwide audience for Carnival is growing, with almost continuous broadcast of parades by television stations and NOLA.com, not to mention social media. New Orleans Carnival is now available to all y’all from Argentina to Australia.
Other parts of the country have their holidays. But none is more consuming than Carnival. Most people will never be a king, slipping on tights and balancing a crown atop a wig. Most will never be a Zulu tramp bursting onto Basin Street blowing a whistle with all their might. Few will be debutantes, teetering on high heels at a ball.
But in New Orleans, many can be part of a high school marching band, a dancer in a double entendre-titled marching group, a tractor driver, a young father placing his toddler on a ladder-top seat for the first time, a late-night coconut painter, a grandma grabbing doubloons as if they were gold, a paintspattered float builder, an artsy anarchist attending an off-theradar parade in the Bywater, a dude sharing a six-pack and a box of chicken with his cousin like he’s done every Mardi Gras since they were kids, or even a member of a breakneck postparade cleanup crew.
One way or another, Mardi Gras is for all y’all.
First Lady
A Granddaughter’s Tribute
BY SANDY FURANO
Tnine pageant rolled down St. Charles to Canal Street on Sunday February 23, 1941, with the theme of Goddesses. Many charter members were wives of the men-only Hermes and Babylon krewes. For more than 30 years, floats for the Venus parades were rented from the Knights of Babylon. This arrangement was unique and allowed the new krewe to parade without the expense of owning a den and constructing its own floats.
he Nungesser family name is well-known in Louisiana, being that of popular Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. In the world of Mardi Gras, however, Billy’s aunt, Aminthe Laudumiey Nungesser is an unsung heroine.
My grandmother’s contributions to the history of Mardi Gras and the empowerment of women in New Orleans are profound and enduring. Born in 1899 into a Creole family, she was more than a mother of three children with five grandchildren; she was a pioneer, a visionary, and a trailblazer who helped reshape the cultural landscape of her city.
At the advent of World War I, at just 18 years old, my grandmother, whose family was in the funeral home business, founded the Krewe of Iris in 1917, marking a pivotal moment in the history of Carnival. This was not merely the birth of a new women’s krewe; it was also a bold statement in a time when women were largely confined to domestic roles. Her decision to create a space for women in the male-dominated world of Mardi Gras was revolutionary, challenging the societal norms of her day. It’s likely that the more than 10,000 women who belong to women’s Mardi Gras krewes today are unaware of the obstacles she faced at a time when women couldn’t vote, drive, or even smoke in public. Yet, she dared to carve out a place for them in the vibrant, colorful world of Mardi Gras, igniting a movement that would grow in strength and influence over the decades.
But Aminthe’s contributions didn’t stop there. In 1941, against the backdrop of World War II, she founded the Krewe of Venus, making history again when the first all-femi-
The creation of Venus was nothing short of audacious—a woman not only leading but expanding her influence in the realm of Mardi Gras, all while balancing the demands of raising a family. For 12 years, she managed both krewes, a feat that would be challenging even by today’s standards. But in 1952, when my sister and I were just babies and living in the apartment attached to my grandmother’s home on Baronne Street behind Pascal’s Manale, our grandmother realized she could not oversee both Iris and Venus and be the grandmother she wanted to be. So Aminthe decided to keep Venus and handed over Iris to Irma Strode, who had been the queen of Venus. Irma did a phenomenal job, and without her commitment and leadership, Iris would not have developed into the club that it is today—the largest krewe in Mardi Gras, boasting nearly 4,000 members—a living legacy of Aminthe’s vision and leadership.
My brother and three sisters knew that our grandmother never sought recognition or fame. But she would be proud to learn that her life will be the subject of an exhibit at the Louisiana State Museum at the Presbytere in the Spring.
Aminthe was not just a captain of krewes; she was a captain of change, navigating the uncharted waters of gender equality in a society steeped in tradition. In the grand tapestry of Mardi Gras, Aminthe Nungesser’s thread may not be the most visible, but it is undeniably one of the strongest. Woven with determination, love, and the indomitable spirit of New Orleans, her legacy is a powerful reminder of what one woman’s vision can do.
Aminthe Laudumiey Nungesser, founder and Captain of the Krewes of Iris (1917) and Venus (1941)
Aminthe’s granddaughter, Sandy Furano, fondly recalls her grandmother’s legacy.
Captain Aminthe Nungesser escorts King Roger Joseph Barba Sr. at the 1949 Iris ball.
Super
BY VICTOR ANDREWS
Could anyone have imagined New Orleans hosting a Super Bowl and not having a parade? Anyone?
The Crescent City knows how to celebrate with a rolling party. We’ve been doing it (almost) every year since 1857.
And we know how to throw a Super Bowl — this year’s gridiron NFL gala will be the 10th time, only exceeded by Miami with 11. And with the game falling during Carnival season, a parade was a no-brainer indeed.
Officially bannered as The New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee Parade, the Mardi Gras-style event will feature all the trimmings Saturday, February 8, the day before the bowl game.
The game puts a global spotlight on the city and the host committee sees a pre-game procession as a way to showcase New Orleans, Carnival, and the joie de vivre that it represents.
“We wanted to show what Mardi Gras looks like with a little bit of a Super Bowl twist to it,” said Billy Ferrante, a member of the host committee and senior vice president of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation.
“What it does, it leans into the philosophy that we had when we started this process, leaning into the history of Super Bowls here and the culture here,” said Ferrante. “What better way than to marry the two.”
The look of the parade will be familiar to Carnival aficionados, with the Kern Studios responsible for the more than 17 floats that will cruise along the route, according to Kern Studios CEO and president Barry Kern. Also
joining the parade will be some of the signature marching units crowds have come to expect, including the 610 Stompers, The Baby Dolls, the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve Band and Color Guard. Local high school and college bands will also be bringing the sounds for the celebration.
As plans continue to be finalized for the parade, Ferrante said viewers can expect to see floats for some of the NFL partners, the competing teams, and floats that represent the 10 Super Bowls held in New Orleans.
Leading off the parade as grand marshal will be Louisiana entrepreneur Todd Graves, the founder of Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers restaurant chain. The billionaire has also reigned as king of the Washington, D.C., Mystick Krewe of Louisianians celebration. “We asked him to do that because he’s from here,” said Ferrante. “It’s a great place to start a business and he’s an ambassador to what success can look like.”
The parade will start at the edge of the French Quarter on Elysian Fields, run through the Vieux Carré along Decatur Street and onto Tchoupitoulas Street where it crosses Canal Street, then to Poydras Street, turn right to St. Charles Avenue and turn left to pass by Gallier Hall, which Ferrante said will be the Host Committee House. Reviewing stands at the spot, already in place for Carnival parades, will feature prime viewing for VIPs and celebs. The parade will disband at St. Joseph Street.
The parade is expected to roll about 10 A.M. that Saturday morning. Ferrante said the parade will benefit from the attention and the increased number of visitors that will be in the city for the game and the surrounding activities.
When the New Orleans Saints won Super Bowl XLIV in 2010, the city hosted a Mardi Gras style parade in honor of the NFL champs.
Barry Kern, CEO and President of Kern Studio, is building the 17-float Super Bowl parade for the NFL.
The Elks 90th Anniversary
The Granddaddy of all truck parades
BY JIMMY CLARK
Until World War I, the parade calendar included only Comus, Rex, Momus, Proteus, and Zulu, and featured masked krewe members on floats. Not until the 1930s would non-krewe members have an opportunity to ride in a parade, and they would do so, not on a float but on a flatbed truck. Farmers used trucks to transport their harvest and expand their markets, so small flatbed trucks became plentiful throughout New Orleans. Carnival enthusiasts saw this an opportunity to decorate these vehicles, thereby building their own “float.” By the 1920s decorated trucks at Mardi Gras were popping up throughout the city’s faubourgs. Families, friends, and local businesses had found a relatively inexpensive way to participate in Carnival without having to join a formal parading krewe. These small groups could decorate their trucks with any theme they wanted and make appropriate costumes to fit the truck’s design. The plethora of trucks had gotten to the point in the early 1930s that the city officials banned the trucks from the official parade routes of Rex and Druids. Fat Tuesday 1933, made Carnival history for what didn’t happen that day. Rex members awoke to a steady rain that lasted until early afternoon. Both Rex and Druids canceled their street parades, making 1933 the only year there was no Mardi Gras day parade on Canal Street. Alla did present its inaugural parade on the West Bank in Algiers, and Comus paraded that night in New Orleans. Chris Valley, a member of the local Elks Lodge was devastated at the turn of events. On that soggy Mardi Gras afternoon in 1933, Valley conceived the idea of an organized “truck parade” that would bring all the randomly decorated flatbeds together into a single parade. This was no small undertaking. Keeping the plan within his immediate family and sifting through every possible detail, Valley was ready to present his idea to the Elks Lodge.
On September 6, 1934, the members met to hear Valley’s idea for a unified truck parade. Given their unanimous approval, Valley was named Captain and Organizer. Valley was so focused on ensuring that every detail was handled properly that during the next two months he slept at the Elks Lodge near Canal Street. While Valley focused on the parade, Elks members held a contest to name their new undertaking. Local attorney Walter LeBreton suggested the winning entry of The Elks Krewe of Orleanians.
To say that the first organized truck parade in New Orleans history was a success would be an understatement. Fifty-six fully decorated trucks with as many as 50 costumed riders each followed the Rex parade on Tuesday, February 24, 1935. Prizes were awarded to trucks in various categories including best decorated, best costumes, and most original theme. The format that Valley had so successfully incorporated into that very first parade is still used today, 90 years later.
a part of New Orleans on December 13, 1885, when Lodge 30 received its charter.”
On May 3, 1970, the Elks moved their lodge to their present location in Metairie to accommodate the growth of their organization.
At a record-setting 181 trucks, the 1973 parade was so long that the city forced the krewe to reduce the number of trucks to 150. That same year Bill Aitken, the Exalted Ruler of Elks Lodge #30 in 1966, formed the Krewe of Jefferson truck parade in Metairie.
The Elks Krewe of Orleanians minted doubloons for their members to throw from 1965 through 1993. In 1971 at the height of the doubloon craze, 460 different doubloons were minted and thrown by 103 trucks. The Elks also participated in the popular Mardi Gras Collector Card series from 1992 through 1998. The inaugural issue noted, “The Elks became
Brian Baye has been Elks Parade Captain (2011-2020) and Exalted Ruler twice from 2015-2017 and 2018-2020. He stated that the Elks originated the popular Elroy mascot in 2000 as part of a national drug awareness program. Elroy has been dressed in various theme outfits to commemorate current events, the latest of which is the “Super Hero” garb. Baye says that the Elks are proudest of the charities they serve and noted that the very first Veterans Hospital in the United States was constructed by the Elks and turned over to the U.S. Government. Local Lodge #30 annually gives $15,000 in scholarships to needy students and sponsors a local Boy Scout troop. The Elks contributed more than 300 pairs of gloves to athletes who participated in the 2024 wheelchair games in New Orleans. The Fisher House and the Ronald McDonald House are also beneficiaries of Elks charities.
For the 90th anniversary of the Elks Krewe of Orleanians in 2025, Brian and Marlene Ruiz will serve as parade captains. While the Elks truck parade is not as long as it once was, parade goers will catch an almost unending variety of throws. There will be some special anniversary throws including a return of doubloons, cups, and koozies. The traditional frisbees and footballs will also be distributed to the Mardi Gras day crowd. The 2025 theme will be It’s A Small World After All.
The first place winner in the “Best Truck” contest of the first Elks Orleanians parade in 1935
Chris Valley, “Mr. Elk,” fathered the concept of organized truck parades when he founded the Elks Krewe of Orleanians in 1935.
“Skating Time in Winter Wonderland” was the grand prize winner in 1957.
In 1958, the Elks Krewe of Orleanians published its one and only magazine. The 32page souvenir program featured historic trivia and pages of local advertisements.
The American
Red Cross
More than Emergency Assistance
BY ARTHUR HARDY
The mission of the American Red Cross is to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. For more than a decade, the Red Cross of Louisiana has supported the Mardi Gras season by helping staff the First Aid stations along the Uptown parade routes with CPR-certified volunteers. This year, under the direction of Dr. Kenneth St. Charles, Red Cross has expanded its support of Mardi Gras with a new effort targeted to support first responders and the “behind the scenes” workers stationed along the parade route, who are so integral to the success of Mardi Gras.
On every parading day of the Mardi Gras season, a Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle will be driven on the parade route between each parade. The exact location will vary for each parade day so look for the big white truck with the red cross. These units will be stocked with assorted comfort items, such as sandwiches, snacks, coffee, water, hand warmers, hand wipes, cooling towels, etc. These will be distributed to first responders and workers such as NOPD, NOFD, visiting law enforcement, sanitation workers, tractor drivers, military and out of town band members, chaperones and dance teams not accustomed to parading for long distances.
The Rex organization has announced its support and has helped publicize this new initiative. Learn more at www.redcross.org/mardigras.
Look for the Red Cross’s white truck in New Orleans Mardi Gras parades.
Dr. Kenneth St. Charles Louisiana Regional CEO, American Red Cross
Pontchartrain’s 50th
From the Lakefront to St. Charles Avenue
BY JIMMY CLARK
Sam Z. Scandaliato knows a thing or two about Mardi Gras. When Sam was young, he participated with his father in the Krewe of Okeanos, and when he got married and had a family, he rode in a truck parade so everyone in his family could enjoy parading on Mardi Gras day. Yet nothing could prepare him for what would be a life-changing decision.
Shortly after the 1975 Mardi Gras season had ended, Sam’s wife Kalma suggested to him that he start his own Mardi Gras krewe. Sam had no experience as a Carnival captain, and there were no Mardi Gras krewes in New Orleans East where he lived and worked, but he was definitely intrigued by the idea of starting one. While playing tennis at the Lake Forest Racquet Club, he asked his good friend Max Davis if he would help him start a new parade in New Orleans East. At first, Max thought Sam was joking, but when he realized he was not, he agreed. It was at that point that the Krewe of Pontchartrain was conceived.
The first step was to secure a parade permit, which was no easy feat at that time as it required a change to the city’s Mardi Gras ordinance. Sam and Max worked with Philip Ciaccio, the councilperson of District E to convince the rest of the council and Mayor Moon Landrieu to grant the Krewe of Pontchartrain a permit. The application was approved in 1975, and the Krewe of Pontchartrain quickly changed from an idea to reality.
Putting on a Mardi Gras parade requires lots of hard work and dedication, and starting one from scratch is a daunting task. Nevertheless, Sam quickly went to work to get everything in place. The krewe rented its first den in Chalmette, and met with various float builders, including Betty Rae Kern, who designed the floats for the Krewe of Mid-City. Sam loved the foil floats in their parade and used Betty’s design as inspiration for Pontchartrain’s floats. Sam eventually selected Barth Brothers Artists as the float builder for the Krewe, and a fantastic partnership was born.
Acquiring the tractors needed to pull the floats was a challenge for Sam so he
reached out for help from Dallas Salsbury, the owner of Gentilly Dodge in New Orleans East. Sam decided that instead of tractors pulling the floats, he would use pickup trucks. This may have been the first instance of a vehicle other than a tractor pulling floats in a Mardi Gras parade. It was a great idea and kept the parade flow seamlessly.
Sunday, February 22, 1976, was a historic day for the residents and businesses of New Orleans East. Fourteen shiny foil floats portraying the theme Children’s Stories of Great Americans made their debut along Downman Road, Hayne and Crowder Boulevards, and Read Road to the delight of all in attendance. The parade was an absolute hit, receiving rave reviews for the use of foil floats and animated props that were operated by volunteers from the Boy Scouts. In fact, the parade was so well-received that Guide Newspaper parade critic, Marty McGraw stated, “The Krewe of Pontchartrain’s inaugural parade reinforced what have been saying for the last three years now. That is, it doesn’t cost much more to go first class and build your own floats. What is remarkable is that Pontchartrain did this in only one year.” The krewe’s 1977 Pontchartrain parade, Super Friends and Super Foes was judged by Marty McGraw as the sixth best parade of the entire Carnival season. Yes – New Orleans East had a parade their residents could call their own.
Pontchartrain’s 1978 parade included 13 animated floats depicting the theme Classics Children Love and featured one of Pontchartrain’s most significant and memorable contributions to Mardi Gras. That year, Pontchartrain introduced
its famous Super Grouper, one of the largest floats in Mardi Gras at that time. The sight of the giant Grouper prop opening and closing its mouth thrilled the crowds. And just a few short years later, the krewe would introduce its second signature float – the Mr. Mudbug float, which was the world’s largest crawfish!
In 1991, Pontchartrain relocated to what was referred to as the “City Park” route and changed its parade day to the first Saturday of the Carnival Season. Then in 2002, Pontchartrain agreed to a request to move to the “Uptown” route and has paraded along Napoleon Avenue and St. Charles Avenue ever since. Parade critics often cite the Pontchartrain parade as an example of how parades do not have to be super in size to be super.
Following the 2017 parade, Sam retired as captain, having served 42 years. He was one of the longest serving krewe captains in Mardi Gras history. Sam is now recognized as the Krewe of Pontchartrain’s Captain Emeritus. From that first ride as captain to his last one eight years ago, Sam led the Krewe of Pontchartrain through good times and tough ones and is considered one of the most recognizable and respected Mardi Gras leaders in New Orleans.
Today, the krewe is led by Captain Sam T. Scandaliato, the founder’s son, who rode in the inaugural parade in 1976 as a page on the King’s float. But as anyone would guess, Sam Z., who turns 87 in January 2025, is still an active member and continues to ride. Mardi Gras is in his DNA, and everyone involved in Mardi Gras is grateful for his contribution.
The Krewe of Pontchartrain’s 40-foot long crawfish, “Mr. Mudbug,” was ridden by 10 men dressed as chefs.
Pontchartrain’s founder, Sam Z. Scandaliato, with his son and current Captain, Sam T. Scandaliato in 1978
Pontchartrain introduced its signature “Super Grouper” float in 1978.
2024 Pontchartrain royalty, King William Ray Daniels with Queen Jaia Mayotte Learson
Courtesy Louisiana State Museum
Courtesy The Times-Picayune
MUSES’
25th Anniversary
An innovative 21st-century women’s parade guided by the spirits of the arts
An innovative 21st-century women’s parade guided by the spirits of the arts
BY DOUG MACCASH
For years and years now, the Thursday evening before Mardi Gras has been a not-to-miss highlight of the Carnival calendar. It’s Muses Thursday, or tHERSday, as the all-female krewe likes to call it. It’s the night of the behemoth rolling bathtub, the enormous rubber duckies, and the topless sculptures of beseeching demi-goddesses.
It’s a night of sophisticated jokes on floats, of decidedly untraditional marching troupes, and the glittering hand-decorated shoes that are among the most coveted of all Mardi Gras throws. And it’s the night of a two-story, ruby-colored, high-heeled pump ridden by a remarkable woman from the New Orleans community, who might be anyone from a historic Civil Rights icon, to a celebrated singer, to a beloved television meteorologist.
The Muses parade is a delight-filled spectacle that doubles as a demonstration of female assertiveness, though female assertiveness wasn’t the original intention. In the beginning, the Muses parade was founded because – as Cyndi Lauper put it – girls just want to have fun.
Staci Rosenberg grew up in Pittsburgh. She came to New Orleans to attend Tulane University, then stayed on, establishing a successful real estate law practice. Back in 2000, she was a Carnival parade spectator, a little jealous of male colleagues who were able to ride in the Mystic Krewe of Druids parade, which had started up a few years before. But the Druids, like many other krewes, was an all-boys club. True, there were a few co-ed parading groups, and there was the venerable, allfemale Iris parade. But still, it was safe to say that the opportunity for a man to ride in a Carnival parade was much, much greater than a woman’s chances. To Rosenberg the solution to the imbalance was obvious. What New Orleans needed was a new allfemale parade.
Built from scratch
Right away, Rosenberg began gathering friends informally to discuss the characteristics of the potential future krewe. Searching for a female-oriented neo-classical name for the club, someone suggested the Krewe of Maenads. But since, in Greek mythology, the Maenads were known as ecstatic, orgiastic, sometimes murderous devotees of the male god Dionysus, they didn’t exactly strike the right tone. Not only that – but as an early member pointed out – they sounded too much like the New Orleans pronunciation of mayonnaise.
The Krewe of Muses was obviously a better choice, since the Muses were already the inspiration for several unpronounceable Uptown streets. In addition, the demigoddesses are the female personification of the arts, which were to be among the new krewe’s main themes.
Rosenberg and the other early leaders decided that there would be no royalty among the Muses, and membership would be open to all adult women, with an emphasis on racial and economic diversity. “We were trying to do something more democratic, and it was supposed to be just fun,” Rosenberg said. “We’re not society. We’re friends. We’re sisters.”
In May 2000, Rosenberg circulated an email to gauge interest in the nascent krewe. She said she hoped for 350 inaugural members and – to her astonishment – immediately had 610 readymade float riders. “We had no idea of the demand,” Rosenberg said. “We had a waiting list the first year.”
The Muses Shoe is the krewe’s most iconic signature float as well as its most popular throw.
The all-female Krewe of Muses filled an important gap in the New Orleans parade calendar.
Times-Picayune File Photo
Mama Duck and her Duckies is a popular tandem float in the Muses parade.
Every Muses parade is interspersed with whimsicallythemed dancing and marching clubs, such as Les Bonne Vivantes, who cruise in motorized bathtubs.
effacing, with jokes that seemed to embrace the sexist tropes aimed at women. Preening, cat fighting, gabbing, and capriciously changing one’s mind were all featured in the parade. Plus, of course, womanly devotion to shoes, shoes, shoes.
“We wanted to do something nobody else could do,”
Saussy said of the sexist humor. The reverse mockery was brilliantly unexpected. The last float in the Muses’ First Time parade was a reclining woman wearing a negligee, exhaling cigarette smoke and pensively asking “Was that it!?!” Thus, the coy, world-wise vibe of Muses’ satire was established.
At first, the Muses parade took place on Wednesday night, but in a few years, the procession was moved one day later. Every year it became more spectacular. “We just kept growing,’ Saussy said. “We were trying so hard to outdo ourselves.” In time it became clear to Saussy – and everyone else – that Muses meant something important. “What blew my mind was we had fans.” It wasn’t just about Mardi Gras, “it was different,” she said. It was aspirational.
“I still hope that every little girl can look up and say, ‘I hope I can do that someday,”’ Saussy concluded.
In addition to the famous shoes and environmentally friendly throws, the club has produced a wide assortment of unique items such as comic books, CD liner notes, and posters.
A new krewe for a new age
The concept of a modern, all-women organization had obviously struck a chord. Rosenberg insists that there were no political pretentions in the beginning. But it seems clear that at the millennium, the zeitgeist demanded more female participation in Carnival.
Was it a feminist action? Maybe, Rosenberg said, “if feminist means supporting girls and women, and believing that they are equal in every way.” As subsequent history has proven, the Muses parade was ready to lead the shift into the 21st century. If they could get a parade permit.
Then as now, the number of official Mardi Gras-season parades was limited by city ordinance. And then as now, the schedule was full. But after lobbying city officials, about a dozen Muses appeared before the City Council to appeal for permission to roll, despite the parade cap. It probably didn’t hurt that they appeared at City Hall wearing ivy wreaths, just like their namesakes. Sufficiently impressed, and perhaps amused, the City Council unanimously approved the new procession.
Muses’ first time
Like d’Etat, and later Chaos, the Muses parade would be satirical. Marketing consultant Virginia Saussy, one of the charter members, was called upon to develop the parade theme and float designs. The parade’s 2001 maiden voyage was titled Muses’ First Time, and the float topics were meant to be subversively self-
Dancing double entendres
One of the original Muses, Dionne Randolph, was given the responsibility of hiring bands and the other marching groups that would appear between the floats. She said she knew right away it was going to be a lot of work. What Randolph may not have realized was that she would change the course of Carnival.
Randolph, an environmental compliance auditor, said she certainly wanted the parade to include traditional marching bands – the St. Augustine Marching 100 was the first group to agree to perform. But she meant to mix things up a little too. The Rebirth Brass Band and the Lady Buckjumpers also brought their raucous second-line style to the first Muses parade.
For reasons that remain unclear, a certain eccentricity began creeping into the minds of Carnival-loving New Orleanians in the early 2000s. Unlike the usual majorette squads and earnest dance school teams of the past, new adult dance troupes and marching clubs began popping up with somewhat surreal themes, and Randolph welcomed them into the Muses parade.
The sardonically sexual Pussyfooters, Bearded Oysters, and Camel Toe Lady Steppers all got their start in Muses.
Likewise, the Rolling Elvi, 610 Stompers, and Dead Rock Stars all found a place in the Muses lineup. And for a time, Muses rankled traditionalists, by hosting the Glambeauxs, an all-female crew of flambeaux carriers.
“We didn’t have a hand in these groups forming,” Randolph said. But Muses became their greenhouse. Including those groups in the procession was an “opportunity to be different,” Randolph said. “We’ve been comfortable being different.”
Throw me something, lady
Like untraditional dance troupes, Muses can be credited with being ground zero of another 21st-century custom. Along with the usual beads and baubles, a lucky handful of members of the audience that attended the first Muses parade were surprised to receive a hand-decorated woman’s shoe. Inspired by the age-old, embellished coconuts tossed by riders in the Zulu parade, Muses member Nicola Wolf decorated some thrift-store footwear for the new krewe’s inaugural parade. In doing so, she launched a viral phenomenon.
Other Muses riders began creating elaborately transformed stilettos, cowboy boots, and Mary Janes. The Muses shoe was suddenly a sensation. Soon the members of other krewes were busying themselves painting, glittering, and augmenting everything from masks to miniature umbrellas to plastic Holy Grails to rubber shrimp boots to you name it. Such signature objects are now a purely New Orleans form of folk art.
Innovation has always been part of Muses’ DNA, and it remains so to this day. In recent years, as Carnival fans began questioning the wisdom of tossing tons of plastic into the city’s fragile drainage system and landfills, Muses has increasingly turned to more practical, reusable throws. These days parade-goers are as likely to catch pencil pouches, paper napkins, playing cards, and such – while the krewe also provides the blinking, branded beads that parade-goers have come to expect.
Happy 25th
The Muses don’t reveal their annual theme or innovations until parade day, so at this writing any special 25th anniversary plans are still way under wraps, though Rosenberg hints that the spectacle will somehow be unique this year. Muses, of course, is always unique. It is the innovative parade that has helped define Carnival in this century so far.
Looking back over the quarter century, Randolph said that as soon as the new krewe got rolling, “everybody looked at Muses and said, ‘Parades can be different.’”
Now, she said, “I think you see Muses in everybody’s parades.”
Muses regularly publishes an annual parade bulletin in the Times-Picayune/New Orleans Advocate
Krewe of Cork
Raise a glass to the 25th anniversary of the Krewe of Cork, where Carnival meets hospitality
BY IAN MCNULTY
The invitation to a certain type of Friday lunch in New Orleans comes with the implication that no one will return to the office afterward. Wine will flow, hours will pass and the day will be glorious.
It was just such a lunch that inspired the Krewe of Cork, a Carnival club dedicated to wine and the friendships and good feelings it animates.
Its annual parade and year-round traditions sit at the intersection of Carnival and the city’s hospitality culture, and this year marks the 25th anniversary of the krewe’s unlikely but oh-so-New Orleans origin.
This marching krewe parades on the second Friday before Fat Tuesday (February 21 this year), following a winding route through the French Quarter, always starting at the Court of Two Sisters restaurant and ending at the Royal Sonesta Hotel.
There’s a marching band to set the pace, copious wine, costumes riffing on wine themes and, behind it all, Cork’s king for life, Patrick van Hoorebeck, a wine-loving expat from Brussels who started the lunch that started it all.
Dueling Lunches
There was once a tiny, elegant restaurant on Toulouse Street in the French Quarter called Bistro at the Maison de Ville. It was one stop on a circuit of such restaurants that cultivated the tradition of a long, indulgent Friday lunch. Van Hoorebeck was maître d’ at the Bistro, and to entice customers he created a set-price lunch special with unlimited wine. He dubbed it “Thank God It’s Cork Day!”
It was on a Friday before Mardi Gras in 2000 at one of these lunches when unlimited wine did what it is known to do: inspire spontaneous ideas that turn out brilliantly.
“The room was filled with people who enjoy wine, enjoy life, understand the Friday lunch and understand Mardi Gras,” van Hoorebeck recalls. “When another foot parade passed by outside the restaurant, we thought ‘we can do that too!’”
They poured out the door with the Bistro’s wine glasses in hand to celebrate in the street. It felt like such a good idea the next year it was formalized with the naming of a queen, and thus the traditions that make a krewe began to form.
Wine Royalty
The Krewe of Cork hits the street on parade day with a flourish of color and freewheeling, wine-fueled bonhomie. There are no floats, but wagons are tended by the “wine police,” the stewards for this procession who keep members’ signature goblets brimming.
Spectators line the route angling for signature krewe medallions shaped into grape clusters.
At the foundation of the big day are connections woven
through the greater world of wine.
Many krewe members work in the hospitality and wine industries, and each year the krewe invites a major player in the wine business to be grand marshal. This year, the grand marshal is Jean-Charles Boisset, the head of many wineries (DeLoach is perhaps the best-known brand under the Boisset umbrella).
Grand marshals are feted like visiting royalty, from a motorcade reception at the airport to the fervor of French Quarter crowds. That’s one way the legend of the Krewe of Cork has grown in the tight-knit wine community.
Smaller groups of krewe members convene at local restaurants for monthly Friday lunches, in the spirit of that original lunch at the Bistro 25 years ago.
Van Hoorebeck today runs the French Quarter wine bar Patrick’s Bar Vin, where one room is dedicated to the krewe, just as grand New Orleans restaurants have rooms for older Carnival organizations. It’s a place where the spirit of the krewe carries on through the year.
“A nice bottle of wine brings people together and they can become family,” said van Hoorebeck. “That’s the Krewe of Cork.”
Patrick van Hoorebeck is Cork’s king for life.
The Krewe of Cork parade will make its way through the French Quarter in New Orleans on Friday, February 21, 2025.
Many krewe members work in the hospitality and wine industries.
Treasuring His Rides
Former State Official Has Participated in 131 Parades
BY DOUG MACCASH
By John Schroder’s count, since 1984 he’s ridden or marched in 131 parades presented by 56 organizations across Louisiana.
Most have been Carnival parades, though he’s also ridden in parades celebrating Halloween, the Fourth of July, and the Pecan, Rice and Strawberry Festivals. Schroder has also found a place in the Mardi Paws dog parade in Covington; the Tchefuncte boat parade; and the all-women Krewe of Muses, in which he appeared among the co-ed Dead Rock Stars dance troupe.
Schroder was all set to be a substitute rider for one of the members of the Rex organization last year, but the opportunity didn’t pan out. So he put the Mardi Gras morning procession back on his bucket list. He’s determined he’ll roll with the King of Carnival someday.
That’s part of the overall goal Schroder set for himself. As he explained, “At one point, I decided, ‘You know what, I’m going to ride in every parade.’”
Such a quest can get pretty crazy.
Schroder was born on February 8, and in 2005, Mardi Gras fell on his 44th birthday. To celebrate, he rode in five Carnival parades on five consecutive days.
Starting the Friday night before Fat Tuesday, he was tossing beads from a float in the Original Orpheus parade in Mandeville. Afterward, his wife Ellie sped him across the Causeway, so he could be ready to climb onto a glittering Endymion float on Saturday afternoon. Then he made his way Uptown to take his spot on a Bacchus float on Sunday.
Roughly 24 hours later, Schroder was back on the route atop a New Orleans Orpheus parade float on Lundi Gras. And finally, at 3:30 A.M. on Mardi Gras morning, with just a few hours of sleep under his belt, he was getting ready to ride in Zulu.
By Ash Wednesday, Schroder said he was exhausted from standing on lurching floats, but the experience was fantastic.
He said he called his father, who was suffering with terminal cancer, as his Zulu float was surrounded by “people as far as you could see,” he said.
If the name John Schroder rings a bell, it’s because – when he wasn’t riding in parades – he was serving as a Louisiana state representative from St. Tammany Parish from 2008 to 2017, and Louisiana state treasurer from 2017 to 2024. Schroder ran for governor unsuccessfully in the last election. Schroder, 63, arrived at his love of Mardi Gras naturally. As a kid, his dad worked at the Star Chrysler dealership on the Canal Street parade route. It was a throw-mesomething bonanza for his five siblings and all their friends.
“It was very normal,” Schroder said, for his mother to take the family to the lot “to catch two, three, four parades on a weekend.”
His mom, he said, was especially devoted to the celebration. Her “whole side of the family were Mardi Gras fiends,” he said. Just as soon as the Christmas tree came down, the purple, green and gold decorations went up, he said.
Schroder put himself through college painting houses, he said, then joined the Army’s 101st Airborne Division, and eventually became a Criminal Investigation Division special agent. Owing to that experience, when he entered civilian life Schroder became an undercover narcotics detective in Ascension Parish, where he disguised himself as, what else, a house painter.
Between his careers as a detective and a politician, he became a successful businessman, investing in North Shore real estate.
At age 30, Schroder rode in his first Carnival parade – the bygone Corps de Napoleon parade in Metairie – with his mom. “I just remember how excited she was,” he said, “sorting the beads, laying it all out on the float.”
John Schroder has long been an Endymion float leader but his goal is to ride in every Mardi Gras parade.
John Schroder
Former Louisiana state representative, state treasurer, and Mardi Gras enthusiast
Courtesy John Schroder
Courtesy John Schroder
Know? Did You
THE ORIGINAL BACCHUS — 75 YEARS AGO
The Krewe of Bacchus, founded in 1969 by members of the Brennan restaurant family, had a predecessor organization by the same name formed in 1950 by Owen Edward Brennan Sr., owner of the Old Absinthe House. Being in the hospitality business, Brennan wanted his customers to experience all of Carnival, not just the public parades. He convinced the captain of the Krewe of Alla to restage its 145-member 1950 tableau ball and name it the Krewe of Bacchus ball. The event was staged on Lundi Gras at the Lyons Memorial Center on Washington Avenue in uptown New Orleans.
Pretty soon, he was just as excited as she was. Schroder signed up to ride in the Centurions parade in Metairie, then the Original Orpheus parade in Covington, then Thoth — where he was a float lieutenant for 12 years – then Endymion, where he’s still a float leader. In addition, he dabbled in as many other krewes as would have him.
“I started getting big into it,” Schroder understated.
Schroder said he isn’t picky. He doesn’t need to be a float rider to participate. A time or two he’s been a chauffeur for a grand marshal. Heck, Schroder said he’d be happy to drive a tractor, as long as he can be in a parade.
His favorite parts of the season, he said, are Endymion’s roll through Mid-City and Thoth’s visit to hospitals and homes.
WHERE’S MY HORSE?
For most of a century-anda-half, Fat Tuesday crowds are accustomed to seeing the Rex parade led by the captain riding a horse, traditionally a white one. There have been notable exceptions, however. In 1940, Captain Charles H. Hamilton appeared not on horseback but in the backseat of a convertible. In 1954 Rex Captain Rueben Brown rode in a brand new Chrysler Imperial convertible in a parade entitled Nature Creates, Man Invents.
1,000 MEMBER CLUB
Once upon a time, men ruled Carnival. Not anymore! According to figures supplied by the parading krewe captains, one dozen Orleans Parish parades now top 1,000 in total ridership in 2025. The greatest growth has been in female krewes. Four of the 12 are female krewes, with the Krewe of Iris on top, and the Krewe of Cleopatra in the third spot. Five clubs are co-ed and three are male.
3,660 Iris
3,250 Endymion
2,700 Cleopatra
2,400 Thoth
2,300 Tucks
1,900 King Arthur
1,800 Zulu
Orpheus
Freret
Schroder said his toughest parade was on one of those shiveringly cold, wet Mardi Gras mornings, marching all the way down St. Charles Avenue with Pete Fountain’s Half-Fast Walking Club.
“It was miserable. don’t really drink, but I remember having a bloody mary that morning to try to warm myself up.”
Schroder said you might not expect to find a businessman and former state treasurer so involved with Carnival.
“Being conservative on financial things doesn’t really match up with Mardi Gras,” he said. “It’s a waste of money.”
Unless, of course, you count the camaraderie, family traditions and other intangibles.
“It’s just unbelievable, seeing the people, and everything that goes with it,” Schroder said. “I love it.” Part of his Carnival celebration these days “is taking my grandkids to the parades.”
What Schroder says he’s learned over the years is that Carnival may seem like a huge event, but it’s actually made up of hundreds and hundreds of small clubs all doing their things simultaneously. He wants to sample as many as possible.
Schroder says he has no exact criteria for which parades to add to his running total. He plans to prioritize processions that take place in New Orleans. But, he said, “I will ride in any parade that I’m invited to ride in.”
CLEOPATRA’S TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 6:30 PM
M ore than 2,800 female riders roll with the theme CLEOPATRA’S TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS along the traditional Uptown parade route. The parade will feature the iconic Royal Barge and Queen Tutt float plus two new signature floats: a high-tech title float and Cleopatra’s Nile….The River of Life, a four-unit float that joins another quad float, two triple-unit floats and 14 tandem duos by Kern Studios. Cleopatra LII is Greta Gloven. The parade will feature 30 plus marching bands, dance teams, and marching groups including Alcorn State University “Sounds of Dyn-o-Mite marching band, Warren Easton Charter High School, the Muffalottas, and the Chaissez Ladies. The Krewe will delight parade-goers with a variety of unique new throws. Their Rendezvous Ball is February 1, 2025 at the Hilton N.O. Riverside.
i ____ i ____ i ____ i ____ i ____ i ____ i ____ i ____ i ____ i ____ i ____ i ____ i ____ i ____ i ____
CLEOPATRA’S “CEO”
Morpheus
at 25
Energy and leadership keep Morpheus moving
BY JIMMY CLARK
Dade Vincent Jr. grew up in a Mardi Gras family and dreamed of one day becoming captain of his own krewe. Along with friend Darryl Boenig, the two incorporated the Krewe of Morpheus in 2000. Vincent named his krewe after the Greek god of dreams, due to his life-long dream of running a Carnival krewe. Lawyer friend Tom McClung was instrumental in helping the krewe get a permit to parade. The New Orleans City Council allowed Morpheus to parade on Tuesday night following the Druids parade on the Uptown route.
The first Grand Bal Masque was held only a few days before the notorious 9-11 attacks. It was anticipated that 180 men and women would ride in the first parade. Since some members were called up for military service, only 130 riders appeared on 15 floats led by Grand Marshal Charmaine Neville. Louis Massett provided floats for the krewe’s first appearance on Tuesday February 5, 2002. The parade hit the streets in a chilly rainstorm. Tom McClung rode as the first king alongside Bethany Lemoine as queen.
A unique throw in the first Morpheus parade was a 64 oz. fishbowl that could also function as a drinking cup. Soccer balls and footballs accompanied the inaugural edition of Morpheus doubloons.
The second Morpheus ball for the 2003 Carnival season was held at the St. Bernard Civic Center. Fifteen Massett floats carried the 150 members with the theme Morpheus Treasures.
In a rather unique situation for Carnival krewes, Morpheus Captain Dade Vincent Jr. resigned after the second parade. A group of krewe leaders led by Judy DeFraites, Phil Hull, Joey LeBlanc, John Brubeck, and past king Tom McClung found a capable replacement in John Beninate II.
Beninate has always loved Mardi Gras. As a four-year-old, he rode alongside his dad who was a duke in Alla. Two years later when his father was king, he rode as a page. His high school days were filled with visits to Blaine Kern’s dens where he learned the art of float building. Before long the young Beninate found himself as parade marshal for several West Bank krewes. He was instrumental in getting the first Krewe of Orpheus parade on the streets. His charismatic personality enabled him to make contacts with band directors and heads of marching groups. Later, his resume would include reigning as King of Alla in 2001.
In August 2003, Beninate was named Morpheus captain. He brought new energy and leadership to Orleans Parish’s newest club. He hired up-and-coming float builder Jack Rizzuto to build the Morpheus floats. He stabilized and increased the membership. His first parade as captain was a 16-float procession entitled Royal Dreams on Tuesday, February 17, 2004.
Four years later John was named captain of the Krewe of
Alla, becoming one of only four people in Carnival
Alla, becoming one of only four people in Carnival history to simultaneously lead two major Carnival krewes. From 2008 through 2022, John Beninate II captained two Orleans Parish parading krewes. Under Beninate’s leadership the Morpheus membership steadily grew from 170 members in 2004, to 250 in 2006, to 500 in 2013, and to present day 800. In 2023 the krewe purchased 20 new floats which were designed by noted decorator Alexandra Adduci and housed in Jack Rizzuto’s den. Half of the fleet are double tandems which are needed to carry the growing membership.
Three new floats debuted in the 2005 parade: a title float, and two signature floats, “Temple of Morpheus” and “Sweet Dreams.” In 2006 Morpheus moved to its new home on the Friday night before Mardi Gras as part of a triple header, kickstarting the final weekend of the Carnival season. In 2024, the captain’s and the officers’ floats were redesigned and upgraded. The 2024 Morpheus Celebrates N’Awlins parade also featured the krewe’s first band contest. On February 28, 2025, Morpheus will mark its 25th anniversary with a parade entitled Morpheus Celebrates 25 Years. Wayne Meyers and Christina Walls will reign as monarchs, and floats will depict themes from past parades. The captain reports that he is fortunate enough to have his royalty lined up for the next several years, and he is looking forward to celebrating the krewe’s Silver Anniversary in 2025.
Born at the turn of the 21st century, the Krewe of Morpheus has became a colorful Mardi Gras spectacle.
Board members of Morpheus (left to right) Tatem Ruiz, Shari Fisher, Margaret Cuccia, Paul Leman, Nancy Beninate, John Beninate II, Judy DeFraites, Brad Naquin, Andre Dozier, Earlene Goens and Phillip Songy
the first in which tractors pulled the floats instead of mules. The parade theme was Adventures in Slumberland.
The duchess, a fixture on best-dressed lists, wore a navy silk Dior dress and a sable stole. In talking to reporters, she had one word of advice for classy dressing: simplicity. She invoked that principle when she turned down a corsage from the Rex organization, saying, “I never wear flowers on my clothing.”
Upon hearing that, several women within earshot tried to emulate her by removing their floral adornments, Marcelle Vallon Martin said in a 1986 interview, but she and her fellow Rex maids were stuck with the purple orchid corsages they had received from the krewe.
“We hated them,” she said. “We didn’t know what the hell to do with them because they were about as big as our heads.”
at the party.
During the dinner, Alciatore led the duke through an alley to Royal Street to see the Comus parade, whose route at the time included the French Quarter, and to toast its masked leader, who holds a goblet instead of a scepter.
From there, it was off to the Municipal Auditorium for the Rex and Comus balls, which were held in separate ballrooms in the vast arena. John G. Weinmann, a Rex duke that year, remembered running into the duchess backstage. She was looking for an iron and an ironing board because her stole was wrinkled. That took him aback.
“An iron? At the auditorium?” he said. “She didn’t wear it.”
Carnival Curtsy
Carnival Curtsy
When British
aristocracy bowed to
Mardi Gras royalty
BY JOHN POPE
He bowed. She curtsied. New Orleans swooned. That happened 75 Fat Tuesdays ago, when a man who had been genuine royalty – Edward VIII, King of England – and Wallis Warfield Simpson, the American-born divorcée for whom he had renounced the throne, paid homage to makebelieve royalty.
That moment, which received worldwide coverage, was the high point of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s participation in New Orleans’ signature celebration on February 21,1950. Their crowded day included two parades, a kiss for the duke from a clown, a mint-julep party, and a gala dinner at New Orleans’ oldest restaurant.
From the second the visit was announced, social circles were abuzz with this all-important question: Would the storied couple accede to Carnival protocol and show proper respect to Rex, the king of Carnival, and Comus?
The answer would come at the end of a long, eventful day that began shortly after 7 A.M. with the arrival of the couple’s private railroad car, which contained what one eyewitness said were “God-knows-how-many trunks.”
The first stop was the St. Charles Hotel, where the couple chatted with reporters in their suite. Then it was on to City Hall (now Gallier Hall) to see the Rex parade, receive the keys to the city from Mayor deLesseps S. “Chep” Morrison, and watch the revelers cavort.
They seemed to have a good time, even though their quotes were less than sparkling. “I had no idea that Mardi Gras was like this,” he said. “It’s much more exciting than expected.” The duchess’ take: “It’s fantastic, fabulous and such fun.”
Among those with them on the balcony was Pete Herman, a former bantamweight champion (and New Orleans native) whom the duke had met in 1921, when he was the Prince of Wales.
The couple stayed long enough to enjoy sandwiches and champagne, greet Rex – Reuben H. Brown – and see the title float. Then it was off to the Boston Club’s reviewing stand on Canal Street to see the rest of that year’s procession,
After catching – and dodging – beads, lunching and carrying on, most revelers would want to head home for a nap.
Not this couple. They headed to the French Quarter home of the novelist Frances Parkinson Keyes for a mint-julep party. It was appropriate, John Geiser III wrote in his history of that memorable Mardi Gras, because the duchess’ first cousin, Leila Montague Barnett, had taught Keyes how to make the drink most people associate with the Kentucky Derby.
Even though the Windsors might have been regarded as paragons of social correctness, Geiser wrote that they committed a minor faux pas: They showed up earlier than expected. To provide some refreshment for herself and her regal guests while waiting for others to show up, Keyes sent her houseman, Carroll D. Fuller, around the corner to Angelo Brocato’s ice-cream parlor for lemon ice, which they enjoyed on the back gallery. They were lucky: It was sunny, and the temperature was in the 70s.
After that midafternoon refreshment, the couple headed off to prepare for the showcase events of the evening: dinner at Antoine’s and the Rex and Comus balls.
Hewing to her emphasis on simplicity, the duchess wore a mauve satin Balenciaga gown and a bib necklace of amethysts and diamonds. The duke wore white tie and tails that had to be airlifted in from New York City at the last moment because he had been told that the dinner jacket he had packed just wouldn’t do for Carnival’s biggest night, said Dr. Stephen W. Hales, the Rex organization’s historian emeritus.
The pair were two of 16 diners in Antoine’s Rex Room. Among the others were Dr. Alton Ochsner, Rex 1948 and cofounder of the medical institution bearing his name; his wife, Isabel Lockwood Ochsner; Lester F. Alexander, Rex 1949; and the author Harnett T. Kane.
The menu, inscribed to the couple by Antoine’s proprietor Roy Alciatore, featured oysters Rockefeller; turtle soup with sherry; a dish dubbed South African Guinea squab à la Windsor, served with soufflé potatoes; a salad; baked Alaska; and café brûlot.
The couple, especially the duchess, impressed their fellow diners. “I just remember Mother saying how wonderfully gracious she was,” said Dr. John Ochsner, whose parents were
When the couple’s moments in the spotlight came, the eyes of the city’s social elite were on them as they were presented to the make-believe monarchs, first at the Comus ball and then at the Rex soirée. The duke bowed from the waist, and the duchess sank to the floor in a curtsy that would have made any debutante jealous.
“They were aware of the history of the situation,” said Charles L. “Pie” Dufour, a newspaperman and Carnival chronicler. “Here he was, a former honest-to-God king going along tongue-in-cheek with the fantasy kings on their thrones.”
“This spontaneous gesture brought down the house,” Rose Kahn wrote in The New Orleans States. “With opera glasses focused on the couple, the audience cheered.”
The monarchs didn’t rise to greet their guests. Even though that set tongues wagging, Rex protocol decreed that they do nothing more than acknowledge them with a wave of their scepters, said Mary Brooks Soulé Weiss, the 1950 queen of Carnival, in a 1986 interview.
“She came to what we were doing and had to bow to me,” she said, adding, “I’d a lot rather have had Gen. MacArthur come.”
The couple returned to the Comus ball, where the duchess took several turns around the floor with krewe members, wearing a beribboned Rex medallion called a ducal. They stayed until midnight, when the courts met to signify the end of Carnival. Kahn said that a guest told the duchess, “You have captivated New Orleans,” to which the duchess replied, “New Orleans has captivated us.”
The duke died in 1972. The duchess died in 1986. Mementos of their evening were put up for sale in a massive 1998 auction of the couple’s possessions.
The menu, which was part of a handful of documents from parties that the couple gave or attended, went for $2,875, including a 15 percent commission. A pair of ducals that together cost about $20 in 1950 fetched $3,737.50, including the commission.
Although Sotheby’s policy forbids identifying purchasers, a representative of the New York City auction gallery said that neither winning bid came from a New Orleanian.
One memento of that momentous Mardi Gras remains in New Orleans. A photograph of the duke and duchess paying homage to Carnival monarchs hangs outside the Rex Room.
Life magazine covered the royal couple’s visit to Mardi Gras in its March, 1950 issue.
Dr. Alton Ochsner (left) with the Duke and Duchess at a gala dinner at Antoine’s Restaurant during Carnival 1950.
Choctaw
Celebrates Its 90th at The Sock Hop
BY JIMMY CLARK
Our friends are “golden,” just as these 50 years have been. Choctaw has been a part of the history of the West Bank and it is our “dream” that “Chief Choctaw” will continue to reign, with your support and dedication for 50 more years.
These predictive words were written by legendary Choctaw captain Godfrey Boudreaux on the back of the 1985 Great Tribal Reunion ball program, which celebrated the krewe’s Golden Anniversary. It is hard to believe that we are only 10 years away from that “dream” of 100 years becoming a reality.
Godfrey Boudreaux, known as Mr. Choctaw oversaw the growth of the krewe into a first-class ball and parading organization during his 25 years as the captain. While not captain at the time, he also supervised the purchase of new Choctaw floats in 1956. His greatest achievement may have been getting Choctaw into the float rental business. Knowing that floats sitting in a dark den produced no revenue, Boudreaux’s first customer was the Krewe of Freret in uptown New Orleans. Two West Bank krewes, Poseidon in 1959, and King Arthur in 1978, followed. Metairie’s Krewe of Diana on the Friday night before Mardi Gras rounded out the rental business in 1969.
During its 90-year history, Choctaw has occupied various spots on the Carnival calendar. The first two parades in 1939 and 1940 were held on Mardi Gras
From its first parade in 1939 to the present, Choctaw has been an exciting fixture in New Orleans Mardi Gras.
Choctaw takes us back to the fabulous 50s with the theme, Choctaw Celebrates its 90th Anniversary at the Sock Hop.
surprised to learn that John McDonogh, the benefactor of New Orleans public schools, lived in Algiers. Float 15 was dedicated to Algerian Martin Behrman, who was mayor of New Orleans longer than anyone else in its history.
The Krewe of Choctaw participated in the first year of the successful Mardi Gras Collector Card throws and chose to feature historical krewe highlights on the reverse of the 1992 card. Some of these included 1946–First River Parade, 1979–First Pow Wow held at a hotel, 1985–Captain Godfrey Boudreaux retires after 25 years, 1986–Chief and Princess travel to Mississippi to meet with the real Choctaw Indians.
In 2008 Choctaw returned to Carol Sue and Terry Parkway on the West Bank, with a 24-float Phil Fricano built parade entitled Worldly Travels. Interestingly, Godfrey Boudreaux had helped Fricano’s Knights of King Arthur get started in their early years, and now Fricano was helping Choctaw with their return to the West Bank.
Choctaw moved to the St. Charles Avenue route in uptown New Orleans in 2013. With the appropriate theme of Avenues of America, the 18-float parade saw the return of its officers on horseback for the first time in nearly 50 years.
day and were comprised of marchers only. The 1941 parade, which moved to the Sunday afternoon before Mardi Gras, consisted of covered wagons, horses, and marchers and carried out the float-less theme of The Gold Rush of ’49. In 1961 Choctaw found its permanent home on the second Saturday before Mardi Gras, interrupted only by some financial hardships—they were unable to stage parades from 2000-2002—and the 1966 rainout, which pushed the parade back a week. The revitalized krewe paraded on Fat Tuesday following the Krewe of Grela parade from 2003 through 2007.
Forty-two-year-old Captain Birney A. Rousselle Jr. was Chief of the notable 1963 parade. His initials were on the front (crest side) of the very first Choctaw doubloon. No other krewe had ever done that before. The parade itself, entitled Michoud to the Moon, depicted flights to outer space six years before the moon landing. That year the Choctaw ball was reenacted on the deck of the aircraft carrier Lexington, which was anchored in the Mississippi River.
A nostalgic reflection on the 1964 parade, Favorite Television Programs, reveals what Americans were watching 60 years ago—Beverly Hillbillies, Yogi Bear, Gunsmoke, The Flintstones, McHale’s Navy, and Bonanza. The 1964 ball was Choctaw’s first at the Municipal Auditorium.
The 16-float Call It Algiers procession of 1968, whose floats were constructed in a new den on Brooklyn Avenue in Algiers, gave parade viewers a mini-history of Algiers. Highlighting the West Bank’s shipbuilding days, the farming era of the lower coast, the railroad heydays, and crossing the river on the ferry were subjects of the colorful floats. Many people were probably
The river parade is a unique event for Choctaw. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, the parade on the Mississippi River was held on the morning of the street parade. The flotilla began at the Todd Shipyards in Algiers and traveled upriver to Louisiana Avenue and then returned to its starting point. After Katrina, in addition to the starting point moving to Spanish Plaza near the foot of Canal Street, the parade date was moved up one week to the Saturday before the street parade.
The 90th Anniversary parade on Saturday, February 22, 2025, will be one of the largest in recent krewe history. More than 350 riders aboard 17 floats will carry out the theme of Choctaw Celebrates Its 90th at The Sock Hop. Floats will represent by-gone era items such as a Juke Box, Disco Ball, and an Ice Cream Soda. The Choctaw royalty will be Dr. Krish Sekar as Chief and Madalyn Grace Roper as Princess. Choctaw’s six maids will be costumed in 50’s attire to represent the theme instead of the traditional Indian regalia.
The krewe pays tribute to the early Native-American settlers of Louisiana.
Parading
A Right or a Privilege?
BY RON KROTOSZYNSKI JR.
Everyone in New Orleans – and many thousands of visitors too – enjoy the artistry, spectacle, and sheer joy of the city’s fabulous annual Mardi Gras parades.
Given the singular importance of these parades, both to the city’s image and the local economy, it should not come as a surprise that the city’s elected leadership takes a keen interest in the state of the Carnival kingdom.
The city government’s concern about the quality of Mardi Gras parades and the health of Carnival organizations stems from a desire to improve and promote the city’s celebrations. It’s obvious that the city’s leaders possess good intentions as they seek to reconcile the competing goals of adopting and enforcing effective parade quality-control regulations and respecting the krewes’ autonomy as private associations. Striking and holding the right balance constitutes a challenging task, in no small part because the First Amendment significantly limits the government’s ability to regulate expressive activities.
Mardi Gras krewes are private not public entities and, as such, can claim First Amendment protection for their speech and associational activities. Every New Orleans Carnival organization selects the krewe’s annual parade theme and royalty, bands and marching groups, and funds every aspect of its parade and ball. Not a single dollar of public money directly supports any of these activities. Finally, the krewes, as private, non-profit associations, choose for themselves whether to maintain relatively open or restrictive membership policies. This means that the government cannot prohibit the krewes from advertising for new members (which the Mardi Gras Ordinance clearly does).
Under the First Amendment, the government has a constitutional duty to provide access to traditional public forums, which include the streets, sidewalks, and public parks, for collective speech activity because, as the Supreme Court tells us, “[s]uch use of the streets and public places has, from ancient times, been a part of the
privileges, immunities, rights, and liberties of citizens.”
Even though providing logistical support for the annual Carnival parades costs the city money, including the costs associated with police and clean-up services, the city may not tax the costs of constitutionally protected speech activity against would-be speakers.
It might initially seem a bit strange to think about festive holiday parades as a form of constitutionally protected speech activity. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court has held that seasonal parades featuring floats, bands, and marching groups enjoy broad protection as “speech,” explaining in Hurley that “[p]arades are thus a form of expression, not just motion.” This constitutional protection of parades as speech is not limited to political protest marches: “The protected expression that inheres in a parade is not limited to its banners, and songs, however, for the Constitution looks beyond written or spoken words as mediums of expression.”
The existing Mardi Gras Ordinance, as recently amended, stands in substantial tension with these cherished constitutional principles. For parades that roll during the “official,” twelve-day parading season, the city’s rules regulate the minimum number of floats, riders, and bands, impose caps on the number of non-band marching groups, and ban any single float from appearing more than two times during a single season. The current ordinance also purports to prohibit commercial, political, and otherwise “offensive” throws – even though, under the First Amendment, political, commercial, and “offensive” speech all enjoy robust protection.
One Carnival parade recently lost its annual parade permit because it failed to meet the city’s quality-control requirements for two consecutive parading seasons. Granting that the city can take the strength of an organization’s parade plan into account when deciding whether to initially grant a parade permit, it’s still questionable whether the city can strip an incumbent holder
25TH ANNIVERSARY PARADE
Come see one of Carnival’s most unique and innovative parades in the metro area with 800 members aboard 24 floats with 18 bands from six states and catch dozens of unique throws.
Friday, February 28, 7:30 PM • Uptown Parade Route
King Morpheus XXII
WAYNE MEYERS
Queen Morpheus XXII
CHRISTINA WALLS
of its parade permit because the city thinks its parade should be better; this involves government regulation of speech based on its content, something the First Amendment greatly disfavors. Although the First Amendment would permit a city government to assess and collect a reasonable fee for a parade permit, a city government may not constitutionally favor some speakers and disfavor others. All Carnival organizations, big and small alike, should also be treated equally. The Supreme Court has held that “Prohibited, too, are restrictions distinguishing among different speakers, allowing speech by some but not others.”
The city government violates this precept every Carnival season by charging different, higher parade permit fees to the Carnival organizations that parade outside the regular “official” season, including the alternative krewes of Barkus, Boheme, Chewbacchus, Krewe du Vieux, and ‘Tit Rəx. For many years now, the city has been charging the ‘Tit Rəx organization – a krewe that mounts a small neighborhood parade consisting entirely of miniature shoe-box floats pulled with strings – significantly more for a parade permit than it charges the krewes that parade during the official season.
Finally, under the First Amendment (and the Equal Protection Clause too) the government must enforce policies that regulate expressive activity with an even hand and cannot constitutionally favor some would-be speakers over others. The city’s wellestablished, routinely followed practice of honoring a system of parade precedence, based on a Carnival organization’s age and historical parade route, when renewing annual parade permits and assigning specific parade dates and routes, clearly honors this principle: First in time, first in right. However, this has not
always happened. For example, despite a formal waiting list that exists for new Carnival organizations seeking a parade permit, coupled with a city regulation that caps the total number of parades at 34, in 2023 the City Council approved a new parade permit for the Legion of Mars, an organization that honors the military and first responders. This was a totally understandable decision – but nevertheless one that conflicts with the First Amendment’s requirement that the government not favor some would-be speakers over others because it particularly likes the speaker and/or the speaker’s message. Assessing the potential quality of a proposed new parade and its prospects for success is one thing; favoring one group over others because the government likes the group’s membership is quite another. Rather than adopting command and control regulations that raise serious First Amendment questions, the city’s elected leadership might instead work to engage Carnival krewes about how to improve their parades on a cooperative basis. This sort of conversation between the city’s leaders and the krewes can and would provide an appropriate, and entirely constitutional means for the city and the private Carnival organizations to work constructively together to ensure that Mardi Gras in New Orleans remains “the Greatest Free Show on Earth.”
Ron Krotoszynski Jr. has published op-eds in the New York Times, Washington Post, Atlantic, Slate, Politico, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Seattle Times, and Times-Picayune. He teaches at the University of Alabama School of Law and has written many books and articles about the First Amendment, most recently Free Speech as Civic Structure: A Comparative Analysis of How Courts and Culture Shape the Freedom of Speech (Oxford 2024). Over the years, he has participated as a masker with four New Orleans krewes and currently rides annually in two parades.
TAKES
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2025
24 FLOATS
650 MALE RIDERS
TAKE AN “ACADEMIC” RIDE WITH THE KREWE OF CARROLLTON ON THE FIRST WEEKEND OF THE OFFICIAL PARADE SEASON ON “CARROLLTON SUNDAY.”
The krewe will throw theme doubloons in a variety of colors, along with cutouts of streetcars and its signature SHRIMP BOOTS
King Carrollton CI MANUEL “GUY” JAME VALVIS
Queen Carrollton CI MIA ROSE ADAMS
Masking Skeleton
Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes curates ancient New Orleans Mardi Gras tradition
BY KEITH SPERA
Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes drove from his native Arkansas to New Orleans for the first time during the 1987 Carnival season. He got lost and ended up in the Treme neighborhood, where a reveler promptly jumped on his car and started dancing.
“I was like, ‘What in the hell is going on here?’” Barnes recalled. “I didn’t know anything about Mardi Gras at all.”
Over the next three decades, Barnes not only came to understand Carnival but helped revitalize one of its oldest and most exotic traditions: the North Side Skull and Bone Gang.
Since at least the late 1800s, and possibly much earlier, the gang’s costumed Skeletons have awakened Treme and 7th Ward residents and conjured ancestral spirits before dawn on Fat Tuesday.
Barnes is best known as a zydeco and blues harmonica player and accordionist. He and his band the Sunspots are fixtures on stages in New Orleans and beyond, and he’s toured the globe as a member of Paul Simon’s band. He’s also a photographer. And a published author.
Retired since 2015 from his day job as a National Park Service ranger, he is especially keen on sustaining the Skeletons.
“Being in the Skull and Bone Gang was not something I planned or even thought about. But when you hit the street, it’s a real thing. You feel the spirit of it.
“We manifest the spirit of those ancestors, manifest something bigger than me and the gang and everybody around us. That’s the spirit of New Orleans.”
Arkansas to New Orleans
At first glance, Barnes was an unlikely candidate for New Orleans cultural caretaker.
He grew up in a large family in Benton, Arkansas. He attended Henderson State University on a football scholarship while majoring in biology with an ichthyology focus. He also did field work for the National Park Service’s cooperative education program.
After graduation, he spent a season with the Kansas City Chiefs before deciding football wasn’t for him. Neither was teaching high school biology.
“I wanted to work for the National Park Service, become a musician and work in the wetlands,” Barnes said. “That had ‘New Orleans’ all over it.”
Just to make sure, he blindfolded himself and threw three darts at a map of national parks. Two stuck near New Orleans.
Ten days later, he arrived in the city for his impromptu Carnival initiation.
As a ranger, he was assigned to the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve’s Barataria unit. He eventually transferred to the New Orleans Jazz National Park in the French Quarter, which focuses on the city’s history and culture.
At night, he traded his ranger uniform for a harmonica and accordion. Friday nights often found him querying elder musicians at Preservation Hall.
He was drawn to Carnival participants far removed from the St. Charles Avenue parades, especially Black Masking Indians. He listened to their stories, gave them rides, absorbed their knowledge.
“You’ve got to have good hang-out skills,” he said. “New Orleans is one of the most welcoming places on the planet. Men and women took me under their wings.”
An embarrassing debut
His friends and mentors included renowned Indian Big Chief Donald Harrison Sr. and Sylvester “Hawk” Francis, founder of Treme’s Backstreet Cultural Museum. By hanging with Francis, Barnes met other Treme fixtures, including Albert Morris, chief and
Know? Did You
A SPECIAL MOMENT
The year 1969 marked the first time the Zulu parade received a parade permit to roll on Canal Street. One of the highlights of the occasion was the warm welcome the Zulu queen, Audrea Joyce Alexander, received when the parade passed the Boston Club, home of the official toast by Rex to the Queen of Carnival.
ZULU AS A DRAW
Seventy-five years ago, national tour companies were including the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club in their marketing efforts to attract visitors to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Laughlin’s Fun Train’s 1950 excursion brochure promised a costume party aboard the train where a king and queen would be crowned, as well as attendance at a Mardi Gras ball, and grandstand seats for three downtown parades.
From park ranger to jazz musician to Chief of the Skull and Bone Gang, Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes has fully lived the New Orleans culture.
Barnes is also a regular at local jazz venues playing his harmonica and accordian.
To finalize his decision to move to New Orleans, Barnes threw darts at a map.
sole remaining member of the North Side Skull and Bone Gang.
One day Morris, a handyman who rode around the French Quarter on a bicycle with a basket of tools, rolled up to Barnes and asked if he’d ever considered “masking Skeleton.” He hadn’t.
“I didn’t think it was my thing,” Barnes said. “I’d become a musician at that point. The only Skeleton I’d seen was Al. He’d be out there by himself.”
Weeks later, Morris asked again. This time, Barnes agreed. On Mardi Gras 1999, he arrived at the designated rendezvous point at 5 A.M., only to find Morris still shaking off the previous night’s revelry – and without a finished Skeleton costume for Barnes.
Morris hastily assembled a papier-mâché skull, baked it on a space heater, painted it, plopped it on Barnes’s head and shooed him out the door.
Outside, Barnes tapped a tambourine for “three or four people looking at me like I was crazy. I’m out there raw and green. Everybody knows when you don’t know what you’re doing.”
His small audience followed him around the block. Near the Candlelight Lounge, he encountered Mardi Gras Indian Tyrone Miller. Miller shook his head and pronounced Barnes a “sadlooking Skeleton.”
Miller took Barnes’s tambourine and started singing. “He’s schooling me,” Barnes said. “I’m embarrassed. I’m like, ‘I’ve got to take this lick, and learn something.’”
Becoming chief
Barnes implored Morris to teach him how to construct a proper Skeleton skull, suit and apron. For the next few years, they were the only active “bonemen”; Barnes became the gang’s second chief by default.
He recruited and groomed new members and conjured Skeleton songs in dreams. He was “fully bitten. It was the Dracula bite. Al had turned me into a Skeleton.”
Hurricane Katrina took a toll on Morris. Subsequent strokes confined him to a wheelchair in a nursing home. He died in August 2010 at age 67. The responsibilities of being the North Side Skull and Bone Gang’s chief passed to Barnes.
“It is one of the older pieces of what makes New Orleans infamous and one of the city’s most African traditions. It’s about calling the ancestral spirits and letting them have their day.
Once you realize you’re walking on the shoulders of giants, it becomes important in a different way. It’s something you give back to the city.
“To me, Mardi Gras is a day of giving. You give parts of yourself that you didn’t know existed, then feel the love and energy that comes out of it. It’s important to keep that going.”
Early on Fat Tuesday, Barnes and his dozen or so fellow Skeletons will do just that.
“We’re small but potent. We sing, we chant, we entertain the spirits. We invite them to come with us.”
King Alla XCIII
JAMES J. CARTER Queen Alla XCIII
GIAN L. DURAND
Photo by Adrienne Battistella Photography
CARNIVAL ROYALTY CARNIVAL ROYALTY 2025
Carnival Balls in New Orleans pre-date the first official Mardi Gras parade in 1857. Through the years these colorful events have taken different formats and have been staged in venues as divergent as the French Opera House in the French Quarter in the 19th century, to the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium, to the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, Louisiana. What most of these regal affairs share is the ceremonial presentation of a king and queen and a court before an audience dressed in formal wear.
The Mardi Gras Guide is proud to present the eleventh annual collection of photographs of the current season’s monarchs. Because each krewe is unique, different rules are in play. Deadlines prevented some from
King
participating. Protocol dictates that the identities of the queens in Carnival’s oldest parading organizations—Rex, Proteus, Hermes, and Babylon—remain secret until the day of the event. In some cases the kings’ identities are never made public. By their own choice, krewes such as Chaos, d’Etat, and Druids have no queens at all. Bacchus features a celebrity king but no queen. The super krewe of Endymion selects its king by blind draw at their Coronation Ball four weeks before the parade. Okeanos selects the queen at the ball. Muses honors one of its members as its “Muse” but does not select a king. Antheia, Cleopatra, Femme Fatale, Nandi, and Nefertiti have queens but are kingless. Orpheus has neither a king nor queen but features celebrity monarchs.
Queen Athena X DESTYNEE JIRÉH PAYNE
King of Athena X JUSTIN L. SMITH
2025 GRACES
Grace of Sisterhood, Nakia Chynell Ben Banks
Grace of Service, Lori Maria LeBeaux-McKinn
Grace of Fellowship, Titilayo Marie Elizabeth Osaya
Grace of Fun, Deondra Anderson Ambrose
BALL January 11, 2025
New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
King Neptune XLIV TONY CHIVELTO
2025 BILGE MAIDS
Caden Dunne
Kaydeen Kohn
Madison White
Audry Lewis
Riley Majoue
BALL
February 1, 2025
The Harbor Center, Slidell
Emmanuelle Beach
Nola
2025 ALLA MAIDS
Geniecesa Danel Gilchrease
Chelsey Richard Napoleon
Jennifer Jill Cibene
LaTanja Silvester
ALLA BASH BALL
January 11, 2025
LeMeridien New Orleans
Jessica Bialous
Lilly Bordelon
Madeline Freeman
Sophia Indovina
Marianne Kononchek
Katelyn Kopowski
Sophia Madden
McKenna Ural
and
Centurions
Kelsey Collins
Shea Dominique
Brynn Somerton-Schmidt
BALL
January 18, 2025
New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District Photos by Darryl
by Janna Hammond
Choctaw
Choctaw
Princess Choctaw
GRACE ROPER
2025 CHOCTAW MAIDS
Camille Bellow
Bailey Gisclair
Kaitlyn Janis
Camryn Keller
Taylor Salley
Stacy Sutherland Tassin
POW-WOW BALL
January 11, 2025
Copeland Towers, Metairie
Photos by Carl Lynch of Image 1 Photography
Alla Antheia Argus
Photography by Tracie
Bilge Athena Carrollton
Photos by Carl Lynch of Image 1 Photography
Photos by Darryl
Queen
2025
Caroline Mary Peters
Sofia Elizabeth Hodgson
Shelby Nicole Davis
Tatum Claire Begneaud
CORONATION
New
January 11, 2025
Ernest N. Morial
King
Lynne Adoue
Lizette Alvarado
Jennifer Dinser Lynne Halford
Iris Isis
Excalibur Femme Fatale Freret
Robyn Mitchell
Monica Paul
Lyisha Allen
Deyante Mason
Amanda Prout
Tiffany Robinson
Tenika Simmons Cheryl Washingto
Dr. Marleesa Bastian
Pamela M. Jones
Lisa Thompson Videau
Michelle Thompson Toler
2025 PRINCESSES
Tye Malia Bastian
Saint Leanna Thompson
Sanaa Fay Thompson
Nadia Jade Williams
4, 2025 Caesar’s Superdome Photo by Carl Lynch, Image 1 Photography
Photos by Mark Smith
Mid-City Morpheus Music
King Mid-City XCI
JOHN H. COMBEL
Queen Mid-City XCI
MARYANN CIASTON
2025 MID-CITY MAIDS
Grace Kathryn Ciaston
Gabrielle Ciaston Ostrowski
Andrea Nicole Jerezano
Bonnie Norton Suthon
Sharon Keane Henry
Sharon Townsley
Robin Alessi Dutruch
Isabella Mozelle Diodene BALL
January 18, 2025
Nandi II
January 18 Hyatt Regency
King Morpheus XXII
MEYERS Queen Morpheus XXII
Queen’s Attendant
Ashley Vernado Queen’s Attendant
Monique Saulny - Queen’s Attendant
Andrae Crenshaw Queen’s Attendant
22, 2025
Lafitte Auditorium
Nefertiti V
NEFERTITI MAIDS
of Egypt, Lashonda Tenner
Alacia Bennett
Rudi V. Bolds
A’Jah A. Canselo
Tia J. Casimier
Kayci M. Catchings
Avana Clark
NOMTOC LIV
Kensli I. Espadron
Kennedi Harrell
Chassity M. Hudson
Allynah C. Lazard
Samone R. Scott
Jada Sheffield
15, 2025 New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
King Okeanos LXXV CAMERON
Poseidon X
POSEIDON MAIDS
Julie Lucinda Cochran
Ashleigh Marie Mumphrey
Sadie Jane Ochoa
Josette Chancelor
Trina Russell Terri Hill
Brittany Mathieu
Vania Perkins
Kaia Dezara
Harris
King Symphony VIII
DURELL JOSEPH BARNES
Queen Symphony VIII
APRIL RENNEE NOBLE
2025 GRAND DUCHESSES
Pia G. Magee
Lartarisha J. Stanley
Tracy M. Young
Tanesha L. Santemore
BALL
February 1, 2025
Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, Chalmette
Spartan Society
Photos by JWP Studios
Phoenix V NICOLE MOSS DORIGNAC
PHOENIX FETE
A Mystical Masquerade
January 4, 2025
The Cannery
King Sparta LXXII KIMLEE ROGERS
2025 SPARTA MAIDS
Cricket Graff
Marie-Julia Hackel
Milena Kirin
Ainsley Liles
Maylee Reese
Carissa Wagner
2025 GODDESSES
Athena: Kimberly Matulich-Beck
Artemis: Lynn Isbell
BALL
January 26, 2024
Queen Sparta 2025 JESSICA SYLEST TARANTO
Pontchartrain Convention and Civic Center
Tucks
King Tchefuncte BRAD HADDOX
Queen Tchefuncte
MARIE PENNINGTON
2025 TCHEFUNCTE MAIDS
Lauren Bounds
Beija Lopes-Morgan
Layna Ostendorf
Cecelia Davis
Addison Foret
Chloe Morlier
Brooke Steinhauer
BALL
February 8, 2025
The River Mill Center, Coquille Parks, Covington
Photos by Darryl Schmidt Photography
Tchefuncte Thoth Titans
Photos by Sarah Trepagnier
King Thoth LXXVII
JASON J. MARKEY
Queen Thoth LXXVII
MIA ANGELE GONZALES
2024 THOTH MAIDS
Evangeline Claire Barras
Annalise Mary Gagliano
Anna Dunn Grenrood
Ellen Daly Grenrood
Emily Rene Heller
Sydney Ava Kremer
BALL
Drew Avery Laughlin
Ainsley Jean Markey
Samantha Elizabeth Thompson
Amelia Mary Wahden
King Titan XIV CHRIS STURCKEN
Queen Titan XIV TONI GEBBIA
2025 TITAN MAIDS
Samantha Brown
Jennifer Roser
Laura Van der Klis
Buffy Kennedy
Gracie Moreau
Chasity Walker
BALL
February 15, 2025
Pontchartrain Convention and Civic Center, Kenner
Photos by Creative Images
January 25, 2025
The Harbor Center, Slidell
Photos by De Lis Photography
Achaeans Friday, February 14, 2025 Hyatt Regency New Orleans
Apollo Saturday, January 11, 2025 Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Athenians Saturday, February 15, 2025 Orpheum Theater
Babylon Thursday, February 27, 2025 New Orleans Marriott
Beau Brummell Friday, February 21, 2025 Copeland Tower
Caliphs of Cairo Saturday, February 1, 2025 New Orleans Country Club
Children’s Carnival Club Sunday, February 16, 2025 Roosevelt New Orleans
CAMAN Saturday, January 11, 2025 InterContinental New Orleans
Comus Tuesday, Mardi Gras, March 4, 2025 New Orleans Marriott
Dorians Friday, February 21, 2025 Orpheum Theater
Elves of Oberon Monday, February 24, 2025 Orpheum Theater
Eros Saturday, January 18, 2025 Hyatt Regency New Orleans
Harlequins Saturday, December 28, 2024 Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Hermes Thursday, February 27, 2025 Hyatt Regency New Orleans
Janus Saturday, January 18, 2025 Sheraton New Orleans Hotel
Les Femmes d’Orleans Saturday, February 15, 2025 Copeland Tower
Les Pierrettes Thursday, December 29, 2024 Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Mithras Friday, February 21, 2025 Sheraton New Orleans Hotel
Momus Thursday, February 27, 2025 Orpheum Theater
Mystery Wednesday, February 26, 2025 Orpheum Theater
Mystic Saturday, March 1, 2025 Hilton New Orleans Riverside
Nereus Friday, February 7, 2025 New Orleans Country Club
Olympians Friday, January 31, 2025 New Orleans Country Club
Original Illinois Club Saturday, February 22, 2025 Jung Hotel
Osiris Saturday, February 8, 2025 New Orleans Country Club
Prophets of Persia Saturday, February 22, 2025 Orpheum Theater
Proteus Monday, Lundi Gras, March 3, 2025 New Orleans Marriott
Rex Tuesday, Mardi Gras, March 4, 2025 Sheraton New Orleans Hotel
Squires Monday, December 23, 2024 Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Twelfth Night Revelers Monday, January 6, 2025 Orpheum Theater
Young Men Illinois Friday, January 31, 2025 Hyatt Regency New Orleans
Zulu Friday, February 28, 2025 Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Ball schedule provided by Victor Andrews
Scores of non-parading Mardi Gras organizations stage Carnival balls each year in New Orleans and in surrounding parishes. This list includes the most prominent ones for which information was available, and major parading krewes of Babylon, Hermes, Proteus, Rex, and Zulu.
Photos by Adrienne Battistella Photography
DRAG it out
Carnival’s connection runs deep
BY WAYNE PHILLIPS
Do costumes conceal or reveal? Do they disguise our identities so that we may behave in a way not typical of our everyday selves, or do they reveal a part of us that we normally keep hidden? Can it do both?
The roots of our modern sense of Carnival can be found in medieval Europe, somewhere around the twelfth century, when hoards of maskers in western European cities disguised themselves to carry out behavior profane even by today’s standards before the penance of Lent began. Lower classes brutally lampooned royalty, nobility, clerics, and scholars and often adopted the attire of another gender in an exaggerated manner. The seeds of drag had thus been planted.
Drag has been around in one form or another for centuries, well before the term was used. Shakespeare and his contemporaries used male actors in female roles. Eighteenth-century England saw the rise of the “macaroni,” a foppish man who wore extravagantly stylish and often androgynous clothing and behaved in an affected manner.
Female physicians in the nineteenth century occasionally wore masculine clothing. Inspired by the fight for women’s suffrage, Amelia Bloomer made the “bloomer” fashion famous by wearing exposed pantalettes over a loose blouse or tunic.
What of New Orleans Carnival and its connection to drag? Those inside the community recognize that drag is an all-encompassing term that reflects a thousand shades of gray between black and white. These shades include but are not limited to cross-dressers, female impersonators, and drag queens and drag kings. The differences among them are stark, and their connections to Carnival are varied and vast.
The first account of Carnival masking in New Orleans comes from the memoir of Marc-Antoine Caillot, an early French settler who arrived in the New World in 1729 and was on hand to celebrate Mardi Gras in 1730. His recently unearthed written account of life in the young city was published in 2013 by the Historic New Orleans Collection as A Company Man: The Remarkable French-Atlantic Voyage of a Clerk
for the Company of the Indies. Caillot gives a mirthful description of his costume and those of his compatriots:
“…I was dressed as a shepherdess in white. I had a corset of white dimity, a muslin skirt, a large pannier, right down to the chemise, along with plenty of beauty marks too. I had my husband, who was the Marquis de Carnival … What also made it hard for people to recognize me was that had shaved very closely that evening and had a number of beauty marks on my face, and even on my breasts, which had plumped up.”
Clearly Caillot took the task of cross-dressing very seriously, but one can assume that for him it did not reveal a hidden aspect of his personality. In the 1800s and early 1900s, cross-dressing continued to be a popular, provocative, and convenient Carnival costume for both men and women. Even with this sense of public satire, crossdressers almost always wore masks to hide their identity.
Another example of early twentieth-century cross-dressing can be seen in the selection of royalty chosen to reign over the parades of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Queen Zulu was a male member of the club dressed in feminine attire. Little is known of the proclivities of these female sovereigns, but by the mid-1930s, Queen Zulu was a woman.
Easily forgotten is that throughout the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth, cross-dressing was against the law. The adoption of such incendiary attire was looked upon as an affront to public decency, except on Mardi Gras and eventually on Halloween. As the twentieth century evolved, New Orleans witnessed the rise of the female impersonator.
At a vibrant and spry 88-years-old, pioneering female impersonator and native New Orleanian George Roth has witnessed it all. He describes it this way:
“When you did drag in the 50s, 60s, and even in the 70s, you did it as a female impersonator, not as a performer wearing a mask to be somebody else other than
Female impersonator on Bourbon Street, 1965
Louisiana State Museum collection
Opal Masters as the King Cake Queen, Krewe of Queenateenas
Larry Graham, photographer, 2010. Louisiana State Museum collection, gift of Marsha Naquin-Delain
Rita George, 2024
Courtesy of George Roth
Cross-dresser on Canal Street
John Norris Teunisson, photographer, ca. 1902.
Samuel Wilson, Jr. Papers, Southeastern Architectural Archive, Tulane University Special Collections, Tulane University Libraries
Drag queens in the Bourbon Street Awards
John R. Miller, photographer, 1975. Louisiana State Museum collection, gift of Arthur Hardy
...in 1958, Douglas Jones founded the first gay krewe, proclaimed the Krewe of Yuga. The ball took place at his house on South Carrollton Avenue... “ “
yourself. In other words, if I had had a twin sister, this is what she would have looked like.” So for Roth, drag was not a costume. When appearing or performing in female attire, George Roth became Rita George. Rita made her first public appearance in the mid-1950s as a senior in high school. The venue was Dixie’s Bar of Music, a beloved institution on Bourbon Street and safe space for all members of the LGBTQ+ community from the 1930s to the 1960s.
Lucky enough never to be arrested, but experiencing several close calls, including having to leap across rooftops in the French Quarter to escape a bar raid, Roth remembers:
“During Mardi Gras in the early years you literally could only be within the confines of the Quarter or Canal Street to be safe dressed as a girl. If you went out you could literally be arrested because at that time if you wore girls’ clothes you had to have at least one or two pieces of male clothing on you. You had to have a pair of boxer drawers or you had to have socks if you had a long gown to show that you were still a male.” Night court was waiting for the unlucky drags.
Private house parties and gay bars were the protective realm of early female impersonators. Then in 1958, Douglas Jones founded the first gay krewe, proclaimed the Krewe of Yuga. The ball took place at his house on South Carrollton Avenue for the first two years, moved to a club on the lakefront by 1960 and a rented venue in Metairie in 1962. That year, Jefferson Parish sheriff’s deputies raided the ball and arrested nearly one hundred men, most in drag. Following normal police practice, their names and home addresses were published in the newspaper, causing no end of personal losses as well as the end of the Krewe of Yuga.
In the wake of Yuga’s demise, new gay krewes sprung up, choosing to formalize their clubs by obtaining a charter as formal krewes, thereby securing a degree of safety from unjust raids and harassment. One of these early krewes was Amon-
Ra, formed in 1965, and one of its first members was Mike Moreau.
Hailing from the town of Opelousas, Moreau occupies a unique place in all of Carnival as a continuous member of Amon-Ra since its founding, now going on sixty years. His husband, Darwin Reed, is a fifty-year member of the krewe.
Moreau’s first appearance in women’s dress was in 1964 during Halloween. On another infamous Halloween night while Moreau, as his alter ego Opal Masters, celebrated with friends at a French Quarter bar, he made a daring escape:
“…police came in and said ‘Hope you all are having a good time because when you step out on the street we’re going to arrest you.’ Luckily one of the people with us was not in drag. gave him the keys to my car. I had a convertible. He went and got the car and pulled up basically on the sidewalk. We went out the back door. We dove into the car, so we never set foot on the sidewalk.”
Such stories can be told with amusement now, but these escapes represented a very real threat to those who were merely dressing in a way that reflected an aspect of their colorful and celebratory personalities. Nonetheless, the experience was also a joyful one. On Mardi Gras:
“You felt like a star. Everyone wanted to take your picture. Everyone wanted to take a picture with you. It was nice to know that people cared enough to take pictures and cared enough to keep them and take them back to where they lived.”
So where is drag today? Now a common site year-round, though still at its highest profile during Carnival, drag is not one thing. But Rita George reminds us:
“The public has become more accepting because they realize we’ve had to fight for it to show that as drags or men or girls or whatever you want to be, we’re just human beings like everyone else is.”
One of the earliest known images of female impersonators at Mardi Gras, taken from a 1949 View-Master disc promoting New Orleans.
Wayne Phillips collection
Future Dates
The lives of visitors and locals would be greatly simplified if Mardi Gras were scheduled on the same date each year, like Christmas or the Fourth of July. It would even be easier if, like Labor Day or Thanksgiving, Mardi Gras were tied to the first or last Tuesday of a specific month. But that would be no fun at all!
The reason for the fluctuating date of Mardi Gras goes back several centuries to when the Catholic Church established a fixed date for Christmas but moveable dates for other religious holidays. Easter was set to coincide with the first Sunday after the full moon that follows the Spring Equinox. Easter can fall on any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Mardi Gras is then scheduled 47 days before Easter and can occur on any Tuesday from February 3 through March 9. Here are the dates for the next 50 years.
Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture, 318 N. Rampart St.
Doors open 6 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased at www.Eventbrite.com
Krewe of Narcissus
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, 8245 W. Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette
Ball begins 8 p.m.
By invitation only
Mystic Krewe of Apollo de New Orleans
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Historic Carver Theater, 2101 Orleans Ave.
Doors open 7 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased at MKAnola.org
Mystic Krewe of Amon-Ra
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, 8245 W. Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette
Doors open 7 p.m.
Ball begins 8 p.m.
By invitation only
Radical Faeries St. Brigid Ball
Sunday, February 2, 2025
Café İstanbul, 2372 Saint Claude Ave. (enter from parking lot at rear)
7 p.m.
Tickets sold at the door, suggested donation $20
(no one turned away for lack of funds)
Krewe of Petronius
Saturday, February 22, 2025
Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, 8245 W. Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette
Doors open 7 p.m.
Ball begins 8 p.m.
Tables available for purchase at www.kreweofpetronius.net
Krewe of Armeinius
Friday, February 28, 2025
Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, 8245 W. Judge Perez Dr., Chalmette
Doors open 7 p.m.
Ball begins 8 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased at https://armeinius.org/
Mystic Krewe of Lords of Leather
Sunday, March 2, 2025
John A. Alario Center, 2000 Segnette Blvd., Westwego
Doors open 7 p.m.
Ball begins 8 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased at www.thelordsofleather.org
Ball schedule provided by Wayne Phillips
77TH ANNIVERSARY THOTH PARADE
SUNDAY, MARCH 2, NOON
43 ALL ORIGINAL FLOATS
MORE THAN 2,000 RIDERS MORE THAN 50 BAND AND MARCHING UNITS!
NEARLY THREE DOZEN KREWE-SIGNATURE ITEMS
King Thoth LXXVII JASON J. MARKEY.
Queen Thoth LXXVII MIA ANGELE GONZALES
The Victory Belles
Grand Marshals
The Northshore’s Biggest
Poseidon Marks Ten Years
BY SARA PAGONES
Akitchen table chat about what was missing in Slidell’s Carnival experience led to the formation of what has become the season’s largest and most anticipated event on the Northshore, the 700-plus-member Krewe of Poseidon, which is marking its 10th anniversary this year.
Captain Ronny Kastner says he and the others sitting around that table thought it would take two years to launch Poseidon. But members of the co-ed krewe pressed for a faster start.
Not one to shy away from a challenge, Kastner and the others agreed to accelerate the timeline and took care of the more mundane business of writing bylaws, registering with the Secretary of State, and choosing officers. The nascent krewe also persuaded the city of Slidell to amend its parade regulations to allow a ninth parade.
The Krewe of Poseidon first stepped off on a Sunday afternoon, January 10, 2016, the first parade of what was then a five-week parade season. With a more than 400 initial membership, the krewe was already big by Northshore standards.
In the years since, Poseidon has seen consistent growth, adapting to changes in Slidell’s Carnival calendar and challenges like the pandemic shutdown in 2021. By the time it rolls this year, on February 15, Kastner expects to have 750 riders. In its third year, Poseidon successfully petitioned the Slidell City Council to allow it to roll at night, adding a third night parade to the city’s Carnival lineup. The secret to the group’s success is keeping the experience fresh. Kastner says that he watches how the crowd responds. “Is the parade fun for everyone? Artistry, pageantry, revelry: We try to touch on all of that. Some only focus on what’s fun for the rider.”
This year, the parade will feature 26 floats, some tandem, with either a marching group or band between each. The krewe has brought crowd-pleasers like the 610 Stompers, the Southern University Band, and the Clydesdales. It also features a Mardi Gras Indian group, the Golden Sioux, who have their own float.
“You’ve got to change it up. A lot of krewes lack imagination,” Kastner said. When people ask how the krewe will top a given parade, Kastner says he views that as a challenge.
Two years ago, Poseidon launched a new tradition immediately prior to rolling down the route: a brief but splashy fireworks display akin to the grand finale of a traditional fireworks show. The first year, the display wasn’t announced, but surprised parade goers lining Pontchartrain Drive were able to see the skies light up.
Also unique to Poseidon is the final krewe meeting, several weeks before the parade, where a video presentation shows the full parade lineup. Held in the Slidell City Auditorium, the event is open to the public and well-attended. It gets people in the Mardi Gras mood, Kastner said.
For the first time this year, the parade will include floats that Poseidon owns, two double tandems for its maids and another for the grand marshal.
This year, Jimbo Borchert and Deanna Reine were revealed as king and queen at the krewe’s ball, which is held in the summer to allow Poseidon royalty to enjoy a longer reign.
“The secret to the group’s success is keeping the experience fresh.”
Poseidon has been able to hold on to members and continue growing by keeping its dues lower, Kastner said. Membership is a modest $325. The krewe holds fundraisers but also sponsors philanthropic events.
Membership had mushroomed to 792 the year before the pandemic shutdown. Even through that paradeless year, Poseidon held on to 560 members and is building back with the expectation of eventually reaching more than 800.
A group of 70 original members have never missed a parade, Kastner says, and another group comes from New York every year.
Crowds continue to grow too, with last year seeing revelers 20 deep on the route.
Police Chief Randy Fandal said he’d never seen a crowd that big in the city.
Poseidon will celebrate its first milestone anniversary with some 10-year themed floats, but not every float rolling down the streets will be about the anniversary – some will represent this year’s chosen theme, What a Wonderful World.
Parade goers can expect to see a lot of anniversary themed throws, Kastner said. Poseidon aims to have unique throws that won’t be thrown away, like beach towels. Even the choice of the name, Poseidon, was made with the idea that the Greek god of the sea would provide a lot of possibilities for throws, from tridents to seahorses and dolphins.
The krewe’s signature color, a vibrant blue, pays homage to the sea, but since it’s a co-ed krewe, fuschia is another frequent color for throws. And as a night parade, light-up items are always a coveted item.
What does Kastner expect in the krewe’s next decade? “It’s tough to get that crystal ball,” he said. “But it looks like, at the end of Covid, people still love a crowd and to be out in a crowd. Post 9-11, post-Katrina, post-pandemic, people just want to get out and have a good time.
“As long as we continue bringing something to keep people happy, whether it’s female or male, rich or poor, tall or short, from the little old lady who doesn’t want to catch anything but just wants to be there to the little kid banging on the float, it’s not just a parade. It brings people together.”
The 700-plus-member Krewe of Poseidon is marking its 10th anniversary this year.
The Krewe of Poseidon’s focus is on artistry, pageantry, and revelry.
Pygmalion’s 25th Anniversary
A dream came true for the founder, captain, and float builder
BY JIMMY CLARK
It is hard to imagine that a fourth-grade classroom at St. Angela Merici school in Metairie, Louisiana, plays a role in the Krewe of Pygmalion’s Silver Anniversary.
Classmates Jack Rizzuto and Robbie Ventura fostered what was to become a lifelong friendship built around their love of sports and their love of Mardi Gras. The two nine-year-olds discussed starting their own Carnival krewe while in class. Ironically, their interest in Carnival was not in the traditional kids’ way of thinking. Not focusing on throws, they were more interested in how a parade was put together and other “behind the scenes” artistic activities. While still in elementary school, the two buddies organized a neighborhood parade along Metairie Court Avenue that included dune buggies, scooters, and baton twirlers. Robbie’s older brother Ray even got his friends to participate in front of a crowd composed mostly of neighborhood moms.
Although Robbie left St. Angela for Christian Brothers, Ecole Classique and then Tulane, and with Jack heading to De La Salle and SLU, the pair never wavered in their resolve to start a Carnival parading krewe. They had a plan in place from their early years and they never deviated from it.
In the early Nineties Rizzuto and Ventura struck a deal to rent the West Bank Krewe of Marc Antony’s floats from captain Charlie Moreau, who was also a mentor to the aspiring captains. Unfortunately, an electrical fire at the Marc Antony den forced the fledgling entrepreneurs to change their plans. With the help of some Carnival veterans, Jack and Robbie organized the Krewe of Neptune and staged parades in Metairie in 1996 and 1997 on the first Monday of the parade season.
Jack had ridden in the Atlas parade in Metairie and Robbie rode as a page with
the Krewe of Pontchartrain in New Orleans. They credit Rhea captain Ana Marie Soto and her son Ryck for giving them guidance and introducing them to knowledgeable Carnival people. Mac Cantrell (both Senior and Junior) helped them with floats. The opening night of the Carnival season saw krewes come and go, so Jack and Robbie turned their focus on a potential opening in downtown New Orleans. With a few influential contacts backing them as well as having a strong nucleus of members from their own Krewe of Neptune, they received a permit to parade behind the Krewe of Oshun on the City Park route. Wanting to get a fresh start in New Orleans, Rizzuto (as captain) and Ventura (as president) decided to ditch the Neptune name and selected Pygmalion as their namesake. They also wanted their new club to have a certain number of signature floats that the krewe would use year after year. Float builder Cantrell wound up with seven floats left over from a rental contract that he agreed to decorate for Pygmalion. After the fifth parade, Jack Rizzuto rented a warehouse and bought the seven Cantrell floats and also one from the recently disbanded Krewe of Diana. This marked the beginning of Pygmalion owning its own floats, but it also marked the beginning for the Rizzuto & Co. float building business.
You Know You’re In New Orleans When…was the theme of the first Pygmalion parade on the second Friday night before Mardi Gras in 2000. Even though the krewe was formally organized in 1999, Robbie Ventura said that they decided to put
The Pygmalion Captain’s float. Pygmalion was the king of Cyprus in Greek mythology, who fell in love with a statue of the sea nymph Galatea.
Co-captain Jack J. Rizzuto with his father
Captain Jack P. Rizzuto
Pygmalion’s popular Pygmammoth float debuted in 2011.
Did You
Know?
THE KREWE OF CAPUTANIANS
2000 on the crest instead of the year of incorporation, which is what most krewes did.
King Pygmalion IX, Jake Romano, led a very unusual parade during the 2008 Carnival season. Originally scheduled to follow the Krewe of Oshun on the first Friday of the season, torrential rains forced the parade to be postponed. Members left the pre-parade party not knowing if the parade could be rescheduled. Fortunately, Joe Valiente, the NOPD parade liaison, suggested that Pygmalion follow the Druids parade on the following Wednesday night. While Pygmalion had a traditional starting point of Magazine and Napoleon Avenue, Druids had the unusual Carondelet and Napoleon beginning. Though the starting point was different, Romano recalls the 14 floats behind him had a smooth ride. Some of the originally scheduled bands participated.
In 2010 following the disbanding of the longrunning Krewe of Pegasus, Pygmalion moved to Saturday night following the Knights of Sparta. The 15th anniversary parade in 2014 which coincidentally started at Magazine and Jefferson for the first time, was the beginning of a membership spurt for the krewe. Noted sculptor Randy Morrison took over as Pygmalion’s float designer in 2015.
When the Korean War cancelled most parades and all balls for the Carnival season of 1951, twenty different krewes joined forces and staged a combined ball for Mardi Gras visitors and armed services personnel. Krewe captains, kings, and queens appeared in the costumes they would have worn at their own tableaux balls. The event was held at 9 P.M. at the New Orleans Municipal Auditorium and was a huge success.
On September 14, 2024, the Krewe of Pygmalion held a special 25th Anniversary celebration at Metairie Country Club. Past kings and queens were presented with some royalty giving speeches about their experiences. Special highlights of the night were heartfelt comments by the captain’s wife and daughter detailing their life with a Carnival captain. Robbie Ventura, Senior Advisor to the Captain, spoke on the trials and tribulations of the early days. New Orleans City Councilman Eugene Green presented the krewe with a special appreciation proclamation from the city.
The 2025 Royal Court was presented to the enthusiastic crowd. Reigning as King Pygmalion XXV is Metairie resident and long-time member Eric Heidingsfelder and his queen is Kaelyn Kellogg, a student at Catawba Ridge High School in Fort Mill, South Carolina. It was also announced that for the first time ever, Pygmalion will have a college band leading the Silver Anniversary parade on Saturday night, February 22, 2025. The popular PygmalionFest follows the parade with top flight entertainment.
Pygmalion’s future seems to be in good hands as current captain Jack P. Rizzuto’s son, Jack J. Rizzuto, is now co-captain.
From St. Patrick’s Day to Easter, New Orleans celebrates with more parades
Rolling Keep
BY ANNETTE SISCO
Mardi Gras is undeniably the pinnacle of the parading season, but in New Orleans, the fun keeps rolling with spring parades.
Like Mardi Gras, many of these processions flow from the heritage of the city’s Roman Catholic immigrants. From the 1820s onward, Irish immigrants poured into the United States by the millions. The Irish founded the St. Patrick’s Day parades, which in New Orleans roll through the old Irish Channel as well as downtown, in Metairie and in St. Tammany Parish.
Quarter Easter Parade may be the only New Orleans parade that pauses in the middle for Mass.
merged so that today we have Irish-Italian parades and even, in St. Bernard Parish, an Irish-Italian-Isleno parade that includes that area’s unique Canary Islander roots.
the “new suits” are proudly displayed in a parading tradition unmatched anywhere in the world.
and political hardship in their homeland to seek a better life in the United States. It’s believed nearly 300,000, mostly from Sicily, settled in New Orleans in the 1800s, so many that the French Quarter was nicknamed “Little Palermo.”
At these merry processions, bystanders trade kisses for paper carnations, and spectators beg float-riders for the makings of an Irish stew: cabbages, potatoes and carrots.
Millions of Italians also fled economic
They brought with them their veneration of St. Joseph, staging elaborate food-laden altars and street processions celebrating St. Joseph’s Day, March 19. Over the years, some of these parades
The Mardi Gras Indians also come out in their finery in March, wearing spectacular suits of beads and feathers painstakingly made over the course of the year. The Mardi Gras Indians’ Super Sunday parade is not to be missed, as
And on Easter Sunday, three parades fill the streets of the French Quarter.
In the morning, the Historic French Quarter Easter Parade riders wear bonnets to ride in carriages and convertibles, handing out plush bunnies.
Founded in 1956 by legendary restaurateur Germaine Wells, the Historic French
Shortly after noon, the French Quarter Easter Parade brings a dozen or more floats through the Quarter. The 40-yearold parade is the largest of the day’s processions and formerly known as the Chris Owens Easter Parade, after the beloved Bourbon Street entertainer. Finally at 4 p.m., the Gay Easter Parade takes to the streets in with outrageous costuming including drag galore, as well as Carnival-style dance groups and marching groups.
2025
Happenings
CARNIVAL EVENTS BEYOND THE MAJOR PARADES
BY PEGGY ROSEFELDT
Calendar
At a Glance
Monday, January 6 Phunny Phorty Phellows, Joan of Arc, Societe des Champs Elysee, Funky Uptown Krewe
Wednesday, January 8 LSM Lecture: Origins of Carnival
Thursday, January 9 LSM Lecture: Satire and Folk Carnival
Saturday, January 11 St. John’s Fools of Misrule in Covington
Monday, January 13 LSM Lecture: African American Carnival
Tuesday, January 14 LSM Lecture: Throws; San Nicholas Costumes
Saturday, January 18 Rex Den Showing
Saturday, January 25 WYES King Cake and Conversation, Krewe Mosaïque
Thursday, January 30 LSM Hidden Treasures
Saturday, February 1 Algiers Mardi Gras Fest, Chewbacchus
Saturday, February 8 Super Bowl Parade
Sunday, February 9 Super Bowl LIX in the Dome
Friday, February 14 Krewe Boheme
Saturday, February 15 Krewe du Vieux, krewedelusion
Sunday, February 16 ‘tit Rex
Friday, February 21 Family Gras, Krewe of Cork
Saturday, February 22 Family Gras, Krewe de Paws, Mona Lisa and Moon Pie in Slidell
Sunday, February 23 Family Gras, Barkus
Friday, February 28 Greasing of Poles, Bosom Buddies, Divas, Prima Donnas, Crescent City Dames
Saturday, March 1 Lafcadio, Endymion Samedi Gras
Sunday, March 2 Storyville Strumpets
Monday, March 3 Kenner Lundi Gras, Zulu Lundi Gras, Riverwalk Lundi Gras, Red Beans, Dead Beans, Feijao, Mung Beans,Queer Beans
Tuesday, March 4 Original Black Seminole Baby Dolls, Skeleton Krewe, Mardi Gras Stakes, Bourbon Street Costume Contest, Krewe of Kidz in Slidell, Meeting of the Courts of Rex and Comus
Wednesday, March 5 Ash Wednesday
Sunday, March 9 Daylight Saving Time Begins
Mardi Paws in Covington
Saturday, March 15 Krewe du Pooch in Mandeville
IMPORTANT NOTE TO VISITORS
You must dial all 10 dig- its to reach a telephone number in area code 504. This change has cleared the way for the National Suicide Pre- vention Lifeline to use 988 as its emergency 3-digit number, much like 911 and 311, which were already in use.
The unusually long 2025 Carnival season runs from early January through mid-March, covering two full months on the calendar. At halftime of the season, a football game breaks out —Super Bowl LIX—in the Dome downtown. The Carnival festivities even extend beyond the return of Daylight Saving Time, finally winding down well into Lent.
Twelfth Night
This Carnival season begins with the motion of streetcar rides and rhythm of horses’ hoofs. On Monday, January 6, at 7:00 P.M., the PHUNNY PHORTY PHELLOWS depart from the Willow Streetcar Barn on the #12 St. Charles route, riding in a green Perley-Thomas streetcar to the music of the Storyville Stompers. phunnyphortyphellows.com, Facebook.
Also at 7:00 P.M., the FUNKY UPTOWN KREWE leaves in another #12 St. Charles green streetcar from Carrollton and Jeannette, and proceeds on St. Charles to Harmony Circle, where it returns to conclude its ride at St. Charles and Napoleon. funkyuptownkrewe.com, Instagram.
After having been derailed since late 2019, the members of the SOCIÉTÉ DES CHAMPS ELYSÉE climb back on the newly reopened #46 Rampart-Loyola streetcar at the intersection of St. Claude/Rampart and Elysian Fields for their journey to the Union Passenger Terminal and back, rolling to the music of the
In the French Quarter at 8:00 P.M., the JOAN OF ARC parade features the saint on horseback, accompanied by a host of heavenly angels on foot. joanofarcparade.org, Facebook.
Learn More About Mardi Gras
The LOUISIANA STATE MUSEUM offers a four-part online seminar on the History of Carnival, via Zoom. On Wednesday, January 8: The Origins of Carnival; Thursday, January 9: Satire and Folk Carnival; Monday, January 13: African-American Carnival; and on Tuesday, January 14: Mardi Gras Throws and Gay Carnival and Designers. Each session runs from 6:00 to 8:00 P.M. each evening. For reservations and class information contact the Friends of the Cabildo at friendsofthecabildo. org or 504-523-3939.
To get up close to the fabulous floats of Rex, the Friends of the Cabildo are sponsoring the REX DEN SHOWING, January 18 from 1:00 to 2:30 P.M., at the den at 2531 S. Claiborne Avenue. For tickets and information contact the Friends of the Cabildo at friendsofthecabildo.org, 504-523-3939.
If Carnival cuisine whets your appetite, WYES-TV offers an encore of their popular KING CAKE TASTING on Saturday, January 25, from 1:00 to 3:00 P.M. at their Navarre Avenue studios. For information and reservations to King Cake and Conversation, contact the station at wyes.org/events or 504486-5511.
The LOUISIANA STATE MUSEUM returns with its Hidden Treasures of Carnival in the museum’s storage rooms for one night only on Saturday, January 30, with tours beginning at 5:45 P.M. and 7:15 P.M., with limited spots available for each tour. Advance reservations are required, and a Zoom option is available. For information and reservations, contact the Friends of the Cabildo at friendsofhecabildo.org or 504-523-3939.
BEFORE THE TRADITIONAL PARADES ROLL
On Saturday, January 11, on the Northshore, ST. JOHN’S FOOLS OF MISRULE spend the evening on the streets of Covington, wielding cowbells and whips throughout the St. John’s District. foolsofmisrule.org, Facebook.
The second annual KREWE MOSAÏQUE walks through the French Quarter from Armstrong Park at 6:00 P.M. on Saturday, January 25. Facebook, Instagram.
On Saturday, February 1, on the West Bank from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M., the ALGIERS MARDI GRAS FEST is staged in Federal City. algiersmardigrasfest.com, Facebook. For quick access to the festival site, take the Algiers passenger ferry from the river end of Canal Street. Information and ferry schedules can be found at norta.com or 504-248-3900. Back on the East Bank of the river, the eccentric CHEWBACCHUS parade roams through the Marigny and French Quarter that same evening under the theme Rise of the Superb Owl. chewbacchus.org, Facebook.
SUPER BOWL INTERMISSION
Carnival activities pause several days to make room for Super Bowl events. On Saturday, February 8, at 10:00 A.M. in the French Quarter and Warehouse District, there will be a SUPER BOWL PARADE. On Sunday, February 9, at 6:30 P.M. in the downtown Dome, Super Bowl LIX will kick off its return to New Orleans.
The Phunny Phorty Phellows kicks off the Carnival season with their annual streetcar ride on January 6.
The Joan of Arc parade is a Twelfth Night tradition in the French Quarter.
The eccentric Chewbacchus parade warps its way through the Marigny and French Quarter the evening of Saturday, February 1.
The Mardi Gras
Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14, marks the return of outdoor Carnival celebrations for the next three event-filled weeks when the romantic KREWE BOHEME takes to the streets of the French Quarter at 7:00 P.M. kreweboheme.com, Facebook.
On Saturday, February 15, the satirical and irreverent KREWE DU VIEUX roams the Marigny and the French Quarter at 6:30 P.M. Adults be warned: this parade is not suitable for children. kreweduvieux.org Facebook. Later at 7:00 P.M., KREWEDELUSION promenades in the French Quarter. krewedelusion. net, Facebook.
On Sunday, February 16, the beloved shoebox parade ‘tit REX lines up in the Marigny along the St. Roch median, just behind the St. Roch Market. Tiny floats pulled by full-sized adults will dispense handcrafted throws to viewers of all sizes and ages from 4:30 to 7:30 P.M. titrexparade.com, Facebook.
The First Weekend
The weekend of Friday, February 21, through Sunday, February 23, convenes the all-day FAMILY GRAS celebration in suburban Metairie, with all-day festivities preceding the evening parades. You can find the event on Veterans Boulevard between Causeway and Severn, just across from Lakeside Shopping Center. familygras.com, Facebook, 504-731-7083.
Also on Friday, February 21 at 3:00 P.M., the wine-loving KREWE OF CORK rambles through streets of the French Quarter for their 25th year. thekreweofcork.com, Facebook.
And on Saturday, February 22, in Slidell, the canine parade KREWE DE PAWS strolls out at 10:00 A.M. Facebook. MONA LISA AND MOON PIE walk at 6:00 P.M.
On Sunday, February 23, at 2:00 P.M., the MYSTIC KREWE OF BARKUS trots from Armstrong Park on its meandering route through the French Quarter. Doggies of all sizes, breeds, and colors parade in costumes and greet their adoring human followers. kreweofbarkus.org, Facebook.
TheBIGGESTWeekend
On Friday, February 28, the final week of Carnival begins with five days of nonstop celebration. The unlikely combination of costumed celebrities and jars of petroleum jelly marks the annual GREASING OF THE POLES at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. Competitive greasers climb ladders to slather the metal support poles of the hotel’s balconies with slime to thwart the ambitions of eager climbers to ascend to higher perches. sonesta.com/RoyalNewOrleans, Facebook, 504-586-0300.
The rest of the day takes place on French Quarter streets when a quartet of heavily beaded beauties displays their corseted creativity. These beads are meticulously hand-stitched to bustiers, rather than flung string by string from moving floats. At 11:30 A.M., the BOSOM BUDDIES promenade on Bourbon Street, bosombuddiesnola.org, Facebook, while the CRESCENT CITY DAMES stroll on St. Louis Street at 11:30 also. crescentcitydames.com, Facebook. Then at 1:00 P.M. the DIVAS parade on Royal Street, Facebook, while the PRIMA DONNAS amble onto Royal Street. Instagram.
Saturday, March 1, brings a krewe of chefs bearing wooden cooking spoons when the KREWE OF LAFCADIO departs from Antoine’s Restaurant in the French Quarter at 2:00 P.M. kreweoflafcadio.org, Facebook. In Mid-City, the ENDYMION SAMEDI GRAS concerts convene at Noon on the Orleans Avenue median near the intersection of Marconi and City Park Avenue and continue until the Endymion parade rolls at 4:15 P.M. endymion.org, Facebook, 504-736-0160.
Sunday, March 2, finds the STORYVILLE STRUMPETS lunching at Commander’s Palace Restaurant in the Garden District at 1:30 P.M.
THE DAY Before
Monday, March 3, or Lundi Gras brings a trinity of festivities ranging from the downtown riverfront to suburban Kenner. In Rivertown on Williams Boulevard in Kenner, the KENNER LUNDI GRAS runs from 11:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M., highlighted by the meeting of royalty from A to Z when Argus meets Zulu. kenner.la.us, Facebook.
Many miles downriver in Woldenberg Park alongside the French Quarter, the ZULU LUNDI GRAS parties all day long, with live entertainment, food, and crafts, beginning at 10:00 A.M. kreweofzulu.com, lundigrasfestival.com, Facebook.
Concluding the day at dusk, the majesties of Rex and Zulu met at the foot of Canal Street to conclude the RIVERWALK LUNDI GRAS in Spanish Plaza, with fireworks over the river. riverwalkneworleans.com, Facebook, 504-522-1555.
Since Mondays are the traditional days to cook a pot of beans in New Orleans, it is only fitting that five walking parades honoring beans grace the streets that day. These groups do not eat the beans, but rather wear them glued to their costumes like beads or sequins. Their artistic efforts can be viewed across town on Monday, March 3.
RED BEANS (the original group) starts out in Marigny and ends up in Treme. DEAD BEANS begins along Bayou St. John and travels to Treme. FEIJAO sambas along their route in Bywater and Marigny. MUNG BEANS, the Asian group, performs their dragon dance along the same route as Red Beans. And QUEER BEANS, an LGBTQ group, commences at the Beanlandia headquarters in Marigny/Bywater and finishes in Treme. kreweofredbeans.org, Instagram.
Krewe of Cork strolls through the French Quarter on Friday, February 21.
Greasing of the Poles at the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Friday, February 28.
The tiny floats of ‘tit Rex can be seen in the Marigny Sunday, February 16
The irreverent Krewe du Vieux ventures out on Saturday, February 15.
Sunday, February 23, The Krewe of Barkus howls in the French Quarter.
Rex and the Zulu King meet at the Riverwalk on Lundi Gras.
The BIG Day
Mardi Gras Day, Tuesday, March 4, begins bright and early when the SKELETON KREWE prowls the Uptown streets at dawn. Instagram. At 9:00 A.M. at the Petit Jazz Museum in Treme, the ORIGINAL BLACK SEMINOLE BABY DOLLS appear for their morning march. Facebook.
At Noon in the French Quarter, the BOURBON STREET COSTUME CONTEST parades on the street in a vivid display of feathers and leather. Caution: this event is not for the tender of years or the faint of heart.
If you are weary of slow-moving parades, then fast-moving horses may provide a welcome diversion. The MARDI GRAS STAKES at the Fair Grounds Race Track in Gentilly is a change of pace from your Carnival celebrations. Post time for the day is at 12:45 P.M. fairgroundsracecourse.com, Facebook, 504-9445515. The KREWE OF KIDZ march at 10:00 A.M. in Slidell.
The Day After
To repent for the excesses of the season, Ash Wednesday, March 5, finds churches across the city distributing ashes to the penitent. In the French Quarter, centrally located ST. LOUIS CATHEDRAL ON JACKSON SQUARE will be open for the sacred ritual, stlouiscathedral.org, Facebook, 504-525-9585, as well as nearby IMMACULATE CONCEPTION JESUIT CHURCH on Baronne Street. jesuitchurch.net, Facebook, 504529-1477.
Mardi Gras Giving
By the end of the day, getting off your feet and sitting down in front of a television is a much-needed respite from months of active parade watching. At 7:00 P.M. on WYES-TV, the MEETING OF THE COURTS OF REX AND COMUS brings a formal and regal end to the 2025 Carnival season. wyes.org, Facebook, 504-486-5511.
The abundance of beads and throws which you snagged in the last two months can be recycled by donating them to several local nonprofits. ARC, arcgno.org, Facebook, 504837-5105; MAGNOLIA SCHOOL, mcs-nola.org, Facebook, 504-733-2874; and ST. MICHAEL’S SPECIAL SCHOOL, stmichaelspecialschool.com, Facebook, 504-524-7285, will sort and repackage your surplus treasures and resell them for the next Carnival season.
LAGNIAPPE
Sometimes even football games go into overtime, and that is also the case for the extra-long 2025 Carnival. This year, overtime extends even beyond the return of Daylight Saving Time on
Sunday, March 9. So before you head to the MARDI PAWS parade at 2:00 P.M. on the Northshore in Covington, be sure to set your clocks ahead by one hour so that you will not be late for the doggie procession that trots out just after the traditional end of the Mardi Gras Season. mardipaws. com, Facebook.
The tail end of the 2025 Carnival season wags eleven days into the Lenten season. KREWE DU POOCH in Mandeville parades on the Northshore on Saturday, March 15, at Noon under the theme Woofs of Art. krewedupooch.org, Facebook.
Bark and Roll with Mardi Paws in Covington on Sunday, March 9.
With Mardi Gras 2026 landing on February 17, next Carnival season will be short and sweet. Please come back to enjoy the 50th Anniversary Edition of Arthur Hardy’s Mardi Gras Guide. See you then!
Louisiana State Museum (Presbytere) louisianastatemuseum.org, Facebook
Ongoing exhibit of Mardi Gras costumes, floats, music, throws
751 Chartres Street (Jackson Square/ French Quarter) 504-568-6968
#49 Streetcar (Red) Loyola-Riverfront
Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture themardigrasmuseum.com, Facebook
Ongoing exhibits on Mardi Gras Royalty, Indians, Cajuns, Walking Clubs
318 N. Rampart Street (In French Quarter) 504-218-4872
#46 Streetcar (Red) Rampart-Loyola
Backstreet Cultural Museum backstreetmuseum.org, Facebook
Ongoing exhibits of Mardi Gras Indian suits, Baby Dolls’ costumes, Skull and Bones Gangs’ costumes, films, and videos
1531 St. Philip Street (In Treme) 504-657-6700
#46 Streetcar (Red) Rampart-Loyola
New Orleans Museum of Art (Besthoff Sculpture Garden) noma.org, Facebook
Tree of Necklaces sculpture by Jean-Michel Othoniel –oversized Carnival beads made of multicolored glass are suspended from a living, full-sized oak tree
1 Collins Diboll Circle (in City Park) 504-658-4100
#48 Streetcar (Red) Canal-City Park (Museum)
Streetcar Routes and Schedules are available at norta.com or 504-248-3900.
Ash Wednesday is a day for repentance and annointing with ashes at St. Louis Cathedral or any other Catholic church.
The meeting of Rex and Comus is an ancient Mardi Gras night tradition.
Fountain’s Half Fast
Club
Marching Groups
2025 PARADE SCHEDULES
Check NOLA.com for all marching clubs’ websites.
Amelia Earhawts
aecabinkrewe.com, Facebook
Cleopatra – Friday, February 21
King Arthur – Sunday, February 23
Druids– Wednesday, February 26
Babylon – Thursday, February 27
Iris – Saturday, March 1
Bearded Oysters beardedoysters.org, Facebook
MadHatters – Saturday, February 22
Muses – Thursday, February 27
Beyjorettes Facebook
Nefertiti – Sunday, February 16
Sparta/Phoenix – Saturday, February 22
Muses – Thursday, February 27
Zulu – Tuesday, March 4
Dames de Perlage
damesdeperlage.org, Facebook
Freret – Saturday, February 22
King Arthur – Sunday, February 23
Oak (Maple Leaf) Friday, February 28
Tucks – Saturday, March 1
French Quarter – Monday, March 3
Disco Amigos discoamigosnola.com, Facebook
Poseidon – Saturday, February 15
Cleopatra – Friday, February 21
Mande Milkshakers
mandemilkshakers.com
Mande Kings Day Parade – Saturday, January 11
Titans – Friday, February 14
Poseidon – Saturday, February 15
Eve – Friday, February 21
King Arthur – Sunday, February 23
Babylon – Thursday, February 27
Iris – Saturday, March 1
Krewe des Fleurs krewedesfleurs.org, Facebook
Joan of Arc – Monday, January 6
Cleopatra – Friday, February 21
Alla – Wednesday, February 26
Iris – Saturday, March 1
Krewe of King James Facebook
Boheme – Friday, February 14
Krewe of Kolossos kolossos.org, Facebook
MadHatters – Saturday, February 22
Muses – Thursday, February 27
Tucks – Saturday, March 1
Leijorettes
Facebook
Chewbacchus – Saturday, February 1
Lucha Krewe
luchakrewe.com, Facebook
Freret – Saturday, February 22
Druids – Wednesday, February 26
Iris – Saturday, March 1
Thoth – Sunday, March 2
Dead Beans – Monday, March 3
Olympia – Saturday, February 22
Carrollton – Sunday, February 23
Alla – Wednesday, February 26
Babylon – Thursday, February 27
Tucks – Saturday, March 1
Bogue Falaya – Tuesday, March 4
Muff-A-Lottas
muffalottas.com, Facebook
Joan of Arc – Monday, January 6
Confetti Kids – Saturday, January 11 (Algiers Point)
Cleopatra – Friday, February 21
Pontchartrain – Saturday, February 22
Babylon – Thursday, February 27
Tucks – Saturday, March 1
Mid-City – Sunday, March 2
NOLA Angels
www.NOLAAngels.com
Joan of Arc – Monday, January 6, French Quarter
Chewbacchus – Saturday, February 1
MadHatters – Saturday, February, 22, Metairie
Okeanos – Sunday, March 2
Kings – Monday, February 3, Metairie
NOLA Lolas
Facebook
Pygmalion – Saturday, February 22
Alla – Wednesday, February 26
Okeanos – Sunday, March 2
King Arthur – Sunday, February 23
Zulu – Tuesday, March 4
Pussyfooters
pussyfooters.org Facebook
Carrollton – Sunday, February 23
Muses – Thursday, February 27
Okeanos – Sunday, March 2
Roux La La
Facebook
Choctaw – Saturday, February 22
King Arthur – Sunday, February 23
Morpheus – Friday, February 28
Star-Steppin Cosmonaughties
cosmonaughties.com, Facebook
Boheme – Friday, February 14
Pygmalion – Saturday, February 22
Alla – Wednesday, February 26
Streetcar Strutters
streetcarstrutters.com, Facebook
MadHatters – Saturday, February 22
Barkus – Sunday, February 23
Druids – Wednesday, February 26
Morpheus – Friday, February 28
Tucks – Saturday, March 1
Thoth – Sunday, March 2
689 Swampers
Facebook
Choctaw – Saturday, February 22
Carrollton – Sunday, February 23
Alla – Wednesday, February 26
Morpheus – Friday, February 28
Rosethorne – Sunday, March 1 (in Lafitte)
Thoth – Sunday, March 2
St. John’s Fools
Beyjorettes NOLA Lolas
689 Swampers Crescent City Dames
Marching/Dancing Groups 2025
Ladies
Alter Ego Steppers: Instagram
Amelia Earhawts: aecabinkrewe.com Facebook
Beyjorettes: Facebook
Big Easy Roller Girls: bigeasyrollerderby.com Facebook
Black Storyville Baby Dolls: gumbomarie.com Facebook
Bosom Buddies: bosombuddiesnola.org Facebook
Camel Toe Lady Steppers: cameltoeladysteppers.org Facebook
Chairy Chicks: Facebook
Creole Belle Baby Dolls: Facebook
Crescent City Dames: crescentcitydames.com Facebook
Dames de Perlage: damesdeperlage.org Facebook
Dance Connection: danceconnectionllc.com Facebook
Divas (Divine Protectors): Facebook
Gris Gris Strut: Facebook
Jamettes: Facebook
Krewe of Dolly (Parton): thekreweofdolly.org Facebook
There are so many reasons to celebrate in Louisiana. Though we have over 400 festivals throughout the state every year, the biggest and most unique of those celebrations is Mardi Gras.
No one throws a parade better than Louisianans. This year, we unofficially kicked off Mardi Gras on national and international stages at the 136th Rose Parade® New Year’s Day when the Louisiana Office of Tourism float rolled down the streets of Pasadena, Calif., for an audience of millions. This year’s Rose Parade® theme was Best Day Ever!
Just the words “Mardi Gras” conjure up images of spectacular parades with floats and unbelievable costumes, such as the renowned Mardi Gras Indians, to beads and, of course, the trademark colors of purple, green, and gold representing justice, faith, and power. From boat parades to pet parades, and from chasing chickens to pink flamingos, our one-of-a-kind culture and rich, diverse history results in offbeat, authentic, and family-friendly experiences you won’t find anywhere else in the world. Each Mardi Gras celebration is defined by who we are and the people who live in those communities, which is why no two celebrations are alike.
Between parades, there are a number of other ways to “Feed Your Soul” in Louisiana. You can catch live performances of Cajun, zydeco, and jazz, all music with Louisiana roots that will get your toes tapping. You can also venture outdoors to one of our 21 state parks and enjoy some mountain biking, hiking, or paddling throughout the diverse landscapes Louisiana has to offer. When you get hungry, experience some Louisiana seafood through one of the many culinary experiences around the state and you will know why we say our seafood is the best and freshest in the world.
Mardi Gras and our many festivals help us promote Louisiana and bring visitors from all over the world; and, our office supports these great events all over the state. When Mardi Gras is over and you’re looking for your next great adventure, you’ll find it at one of many festivals throughout the year, dedicated to Louisiana’s history, culture, and some of our favorite things such as fresh, local seafood and music. As I always say, if you can eat it, shoot it, catch it, or dance to it, we name a festival after it in Louisiana.
Bienvenue en Louisiane! Welcome to Mardi Gras! Jump into the fun and tag your social media pictures with #OnlyLouisiana. Remember, when you are here in Louisiana, we treat you like family. It is my privilege to welcome you to one of the best seasons of the year in Louisiana
IN MY LOUISIANA,
WE TAKE THE PARADE ROUTE.
From grand spectacles like Bacchus to neighborhood second-lines, Mardi Gras transforms every street into a carnival of its own. Discover all the roads to celebration today. MardiGras.ExploreLouisiana.com
MARDI GRAS ACROSS THE STATE
MARDI GRAS 2025 IS READY TO ROLL! Louisiana is bursting with celebrations for all, whether you are looking for traditional parades or funfilled family time, it’s here waiting for you!
Special thanks from the Mardi Gras Guide to the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Louisiana Office of Tourism, for their efforts in gathering information and photos from the Convention and Visitors Bureaus in each participating parish.
Cajun Coast – St. Mary Parish CajunCoast.com
Only 1.5 hours from New Orleans, Mardi Gras on the Cajun Coast is family fun. Friday leading into Fat Tuesday, enjoy parades throughout St. Mary Parish. A men’s krewe, a children’s krewe, two all-female krewes several couple krewes and a couple of all Krewe’s Parade round out the weekend of fun.
Friday, February 28 at 7 p.m.:
Krewe of Adonis, Morgan City
Saturday, March 1 at 1 p.m.: Baldwin Mardi Gras Parade, Baldwin and Cypremort Point Parade,Cypremort Point State Park
Saturday, March 1 at 2 p.m.: Krewe of Dionysius Parade, Berwick
Sunday, March 2 at 2 p.m.:
Krewe of Galatea Parade followed by Krewe of Nike, Morgan City
Monday, March 3 at 1 p.m.:
Franklin Mardi Gras Parade, Franklin
Monday, March 3 at 1 p.m.: Siracusaville Parade, Siracusaville
Monday, March 3 at 2 p.m.:
Krewe of Amani Parade, Patterson
Monday, March 3 at 2 p.m.:
Krewe of Hephaestus Parade, Morgan City
Monday, March 3 at 7 p.m.:
Krewe of Hera Parade, Morgan City
East Baton Rouge Parish
VisitBatonRouge.com/Events/Mardi-Gras
Saturday, February 15 at noon: Krewe of Oshun, Scotlandville
Sunday, February 16 at 2 p.m.:
CAAWS Mystic Krewe of Mutts, Downtown Baton Rouge
Friday, February 21 at 7 p.m.:
Krewe of Artemis, Downtown Baton Rouge
Saturday, February 22 at 2 p.m.:
Le Krewe Mystique de la Capitale Parade, Downtown Baton Rouge
Saturday, February 22 at 6:30 p.m.:
Krewe of Orion, Downtown Baton Rouge
Sunday, February 23 at 1 p.m.:
Mid City Gras, Mid City Baton Rouge
Friday, February 28 at 7 p.m.: Krewe of Southdowns, Southdowns neighborhood of Baton Rouge
Krewe of Shenandoah, Shenandoah neighborhood of Baton Rouge
Iberia Parish IberiaTravel.com
Sunday, February 2 at 7 p.m.: Bayou Mardi Gras Parade, New Iberia Sunday, March 2 at 2 p.m.: Grand Marais Mardi Gras Parade, Jeanerette Tuesday, March 4 at 2 p.m.: Papa Red Dog Parade, Loreauville
Iberville Parish
Sunday, March 2 at 7 p.m.: Krewe of Comogo Mardi Gras Parade, Plaquemine
Lafayette Parish LafayetteTravel.com
Saturday, February 15 at 10 a.m.: Carencro Mardi Gras Parade, Carencro
Mande Milkshakers Kings Day Parade & Party, Mandeville
Saturday, January 11 at 6 p.m.:
St. John Fools of Misrule Feast and March, Covington
Saturday, January 25 at 11 a.m.:
Krewe of Majestic Parade, Covington
Friday, February 14 at 6:30 p.m.:
Mystic Krewe of Titans Parade, Slidell
Saturday, February 15 at noon:
Krewe of Bilge Parade, Slidell
Saturday, February 15 at 6 p.m.:
Krewe de Canailles Walking Parade, Downtown Lafayette
Saturday, February 22 at 11 a.m.:
Scott Mardi Gras Parade, Scott
Saturday, February 22 at noon: Krewe des Chiens, Downtown Lafayette
Saturday, February 22 at 6:30 p.m.:
Krewe of Carnivale en Rio Mardi Gras Parade, Downtown to Cajun Field, Lafayette
February 28-March 4: Le Festival de Mardi Gras à Lafayette, Cajun Field. Carnival rides & games, live music, food vendors and parades roll through the festival grounds. Times vary.
Friday, February 28 at 6:30 p.m.:
Krewe of Allons “Kick-Off” Parade, Pontiac Point to Cajun Field, Lafayette
Saturday, March 1 at 11 a.m.: Youngsville Parade, Youngsville
Saturday, March 1 at 12:30 p.m.:
Children’s Parade, Downtown to Cajun Field, Lafayette
Saturday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m.:
Krewe of Bonaparte Mardi Gras Parade, Downtown to Cajun Field, Lafayette
Monday, March 3 at 6 p.m.:
Queen Evangeline’s Parade, Downtown to Cajun Field, Lafayette
Tuesday, March 4 at 1 p.m.:
King Gabriel’s Parade, Downtown to Cajun Field, Lafayette
Tuesday, March 4 at 2:30 p.m.:
Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival Parade, Downtown to Cajun Field, Lafayette
Tuesday, March 4 at 2:30 p.m.:
Independent Parade, Downtown to Cajun Field, Lafayette Lafayette Parish
Krewe of Poseidon Parade, Slidell
Sunday, February 16 at 1 p.m.:
Krewe of Antheia Parade, Slidell
Sunday, February 16 at 1 p.m.:
Krewe of Pearl River Lions Club, Pearl River
Friday, February 21 at 7 p.m.:
Krewe of Eve Parade, Mandeville
Saturday, February 22 at 10 a.m.:
Krewe de Paws of Olde Towne, Slidell
Saturday, February 22 at noon:
Krewe of Tchefuncte Boat Parade, Madisonville
Saturday, February 22 at 6 p.m.:
Mystic Krewe of Olympia Parade, Covington
Sunday, February 23 at 1 p.m.:
Krewe of Dionysus Parade, Slidell
Sunday, February 23 at 2 p.m.:
Krewe of Push Mow, Abita Springs
Friday, February 28 at 6:30 p.m.:
Krewe of Selene, Slidell
Saturday, March 1 at 9 a.m.:
Krewe of Bush, Bush
Monday, March 3 at 4 p.m.:
Krewe of Bogue Falaya Lundi Gras Second Line, Covington
Tuesday, March 4 at 10 a.m.:
Krewe of Covington Lions Club followed by Mystick Krewe of Covington, Covington
Tuesday, March 4 at 10 a.m.:
Krewe of Kidz Wagon Parade, Slidell
Tuesday, March 4 at 10:30 a.m.:
Krewe of Bogue Falaya Parade, Covington
Tuesday, March 4 at 1 p.m.:
Krewe of Chahta Parade, Lacombe
Tuesday, March 4 at 2 p.m.:
Krewe of Folsom Parade, Folsom
Sunday, March 9, at 2 p.m.:
Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws Parade, Covington
Saturday, March 15 at noon:
Krewe du Pooch Parade & Party, Mandeville
Lake Charles SWLAMardiGras.com
Friday, February 28 at 7 p.m.:
Mardi Gras Merchants’ Parade, Ryan Street, Lake Charles
Saturday, March 1 at 1 p.m.: Krewe of Barkus Parade, Corner of Ryan and Broad, Lake Charles
Saturday, March 1 at 1 p.m.:
Mardi Gras Children’s Day Parade, Ryan Street, Lake Charles
Saturday, March 1 at 2 p.m.: Krewe of Omega Parade, Lake Charles Event Center
Sunday, March 2 at 10 a.m.: Mardi Gras Children’s Day, Lake Charles Event Center Tuesday, March 4 at 1 p.m.: Second Line Stroll, Ryan Street, Lake Charles
Tuesday, March 4 at 2:30 p.m.: Mardi Gras Jeeps
East Baton Rouge Parish
East Baton Rouge Parish
St.Mary Parish
Lafayette Parish
St.Tammany Parish
Calcasieu Parish
Calcasieu Parish
Mardi Gras
Pointe Coupee Parish PCTourism.org
Only 35 minutes northwest of Baton Rouge on Louisiana Highway 1 in downtown New Roads on False River, Pointe Coupee offers two historic parades on Mardi Gras: the Community Center of Pointe Coupee Parade and the New Roads Lions Club Parade. The oldest Mardi Gras celebration outside of New Orleans, New Roads will present its parades with floats, marching bands, and dance teams, costumes, throws, great local cuisine, and that wonderful Louisiana hospitality.
Sunday, March 2 at 1 p.m.: Livonia Mardi Gras, Livonia
Tuesday, March 4 at 11 a.m.: Community Center of Pointe Coupee Parade, New Roads
Tuesday, March 4 at 2 p.m.: New Roads Lions Club Parade, New Roads
St. Landry Parish CajunTravel.com/mardi-gras/
Say goodbye to big city parades and hello to horseback riders, vibrant costumes, and an exciting chase for gumbo ingredients. From Eunice’s medieval-inspired Courir de Mardi Gras to Lebeau’s show-stopping horsemanship and music parade, we’ve got a celebration that’s pure gumbo for your soul!
Swing to the rhythm of Cajun and zydeco tunes echoing through downtown Eunice, savor the crispy delight of cracklins, and join the locals in a thrilling chicken chase. You see, over here, our Courir de Mardi Gras, or Mardi Gras Run, has roots that run deep, all the way back to the late 1800s! We’ve got vibrant costumes and those comical cone-shaped hats, the capuchons, that’ll transport you right back to yesteryear. It’s a family affair filled with tradition, music, and the best food in the world.
Saturday, February 15 at 11a.m.: Lebeau Mardi Gras Festival, Lebeau Immaculate Conception Church
Saturday, March 1 at 7 a.m.: Cankton Courir de Mardi Gras, Cankton February 28 – March 4: Cajun Mardi Gras Festival, Eunice
Sunday, March 2 at 9 a.m.: Eunice Lil’ Mardi Gras, Eunice Recreation Complex
Monday, March 3 at 8 a.m.: Lundi Gras Boucherie, Lakeview Park & Beach, Eunice
Tuesday, March 4 at 8 a.m.: Courir de Mardi Gras & Chicken Run, Eunice
Tuesday, March 4 at 11 a.m.: Opelousas Mardi Gras Parade & Celebration, Opelousas
Tuesday, March 4 at 2 p.m.: Zyde Gras on the Square with Keith Frank, Opelousas
Monroe-West Monroe
Monroe-WestMonroe.org
Get ready to let the good times roll with not one, but two weekends of Mardi Gras fun in the Twin Cities! Join in on Out of this World celebrations you won’t want to miss, including children’s and pet parades, local markets, and other activities to enjoy with the family.
Saturday, February 8 at 5 p.m.: Krewe de Riviere, Downtown Monroe and West Monroe
Saturday, February 15 at 6 p.m.: Krewe of Janus, Monroe
Shreveport-Bossier VisitShreveportBossier.org
Saturday, January 18 at 11 a.m.: Krewe of Sobek, Shreveport
Saturday, February 22 at 3:30 p.m.: Krewe of Centaur, Shreveport
Saturday, March 1 at 2 p.m.: Krewe of Gemini, Shreveport
Sunday, March 2 at 1 p.m.: Krewe of Highland, Shreveport
Tangipahoa Parish TangiTourism.com
Join the historic first celebration of Krewe Nizhoni, meaning “beautiful”! Community members are welcome to become part of this special group. The parade will roll through East Pine Street, down to downtown Ponchatoula, with signature Nizhoni blankets, trinkets, and toys for kids among the exciting throws.
Vermilion Parish Vermilion.org
Friday, February 21 at 6:30 p.m.: Krewe of Omega XXXIX Parade, Downtown Hammond Saturday, February 22 at noon: North Tangi Support Mardi Gras Parade, Kentwood and Krewe of Nizhoni, Ponchatoula Washington Parish WashingtonParishTourism.com
Saturday, March 1 at 3 p.m.: Krewe of Palmetto Mardi Gras Golf Cart Parade, Palmetto Island State Park, Abbeville. Tuesday, March 4 at 2 p.m.: Krewe Chic-A-La-Pie Mardi Gras Parade, Kaplan
Saturday, March 1 at 1 p.m.: Krewe of MCCA (Magic City Carnival Association), Bogalusa Sunday, March 2 at 2 p.m.: Krewe of Pepe, Franklinton
West Baton Rouge Parish WestBatonRouge.net
Saturday, February 22
St.Landry Parish
St.Landry Parish
St.Landry Parish
St.Landry Parish
Ouachita Parish
Vermillion Parish
Washington Parish
Washington Parish
Washington Parish
Mardi Gras
Mighty Krewes cruise the streets of Louisiana’s Bayou Country for a fortnight leading up to Fat Tuesday
By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi, stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com
Louisiana’s Bayou Country is no stranger to “passin’ a good time” throughout the Carnival season! Houma and the surrounding areas are well-prepared for the Fat Tuesday revelry with their two-week stream of extravagant parades. The area fosters a family-friendly atmosphere amidst the vibrant energy of the celebratory season, and the free and easily accessed parking along the four parade routes makes the festive occasion convenient for those who are differently abled.
The Cajun Mardi Gras experience you find in Houma is one you won’t find anywhere else. Louisiana’s Bayou Country fosters a safe and family-friendly atmosphere amidst the vibrant energy of the celebratory season, which makes it inviting and attainable for revelers of all ages to take part in the festivities. The free and easily accessed parking along the four parade routes also makes the festive occasion convenient for those who have greater physical limitations or are differently abled.
The grandiose krewes of Louisiana’s Bayou Country work year-round on assembling their floats and festivities, and then on the weekend before Mardi Gras Day, locals and visitors alike line the downtown streets to soak in the stunning creativity. Beads, toys, bedazzled top hats, and more whiz through the air, as merry krewe members and royalty toss Mardi Gras treasures to their adoring onlookers. Parade goers should come prepared with sunscreen, a jacket (if it’s chilly), a portable chair, and bags to carry your loot home at the end of the day. The Krewe of Hercules starts the multiweek party on the evening of February 21, 2025, and the Krewes of Aquarius, Hyacinthians, and Titans roll throughout the weekend, so be sure to find a cozy, comfortable spot to chill with family
and friends along the route. The following weekend, the mighty Krewes of Terreanians and Tradition make their sweep through the crowds of the Houma - West Side parade route during the day, and the all-female Krewes of Aphrodite and Cleopatra will light up the nights with their elegance. Krewe of Mardi Gras will roll out on the Houma - East Side route.
Further south, there will be the Krewe of Tee Caillou and Krewe de Bon Terre kicking up dust in the streets of Chauvin and Montegut. The Krewes of Houmas and Kajun make up the grand finale on Fat Tuesday, as they promenade through the streets of Houma with school marching bands holding down the beat and dance groups keeping pep in each step. The pride the community has for the region and the love for the area’s Cajun culture is felt in the joy people express along the parade route.
Louisiana’s Bayou Country is a place laced with legend, and Mardi Gras is a time to celebrate the eccentricities and cultural backgrounds that make up the area. Many of the parades feature floats and themes that depict characteristic folklore, flora, and fauna you find throughout the region, such as largerthan-life alligators, cypress trees dripping with moss, pirates (based off the historical Captain Jean Lafitte), and the legendary swamp werewolf—the Rougarou. In fact, one of the most recommend-
ed visitor highlights of Louisiana’s Bayou Country involves treasure hunting. This modern-day treasure hunt is known as Geocaching, and it’s an exciting way to explore the area while getting a taste of the adventurous spirit that has always been a staple of the Cajun culture. There are 40 secret caches hidden throughout the area, and by following the GPS map, you can locate them in many of the region’s most historically and culturally significant sites.
Once you find a cache, you can write your name in cache log, making new history as a treasure hunter. More information on how to download the app and register for the Cache de Crawfish tour can be found here: www.explorehouma.com/geo-tour
Another exciting way to encounter the authentic Cajun Mardi Gras experience is to eat your way across Louisiana’s Bayou Country. Boiled crawfish is one of the highlights of early spring in South Louisiana, and the start of crawfish season happily falls in line with Carnival season. Taking up the Bayou Country Crawfish Trail challenge is a great way to soak up the flavors across a plethora of bona fide Cajun restaurants and seafood markets. If you eat at five of the listed locales, you can receive a commemorative t-shirt! For more information on the Bayou Country Crawfish Trail, visit: www. crawfishtrail.com
For the Houma parade schedule and Mardi Gras updates, visit: www.explorehouma.com/do/mardi-gras.
Celebrate Mardi Gras where the parades are bigger, the beads shine brighter, and Cajun spirit fills the air. Located just an hour southwest of New Orleans, Louisiana’s Bayou Country offers an authentic Mardi Gras experience the whole family can enjoy!
This article is brought to you by Explore Houma and Louisiana Office of Tourism.
Mardi Gras
St. Landry Parish celebrates Mardi Gras with Cajun flair
is article is brought to you by the St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission and Louisiana O ce of Tourism.
By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi, stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com
Every Mardi Gras season, the people of St. Landry Parish come together to express their resilience and creativity with their vibrant Carnival traditions. Cajun music, cuisine, and chicken runs are an integral part of the festivities surrounding Fat Tuesday in this parish, and attending the Cajun Mardi Gras Festival, organized by the City of Eunice, is the perfect way to encounter the full Cajun Mardi Gras experience. The free-admission, five-day festival is a major event where locals and visitors alike are immersed in traditional Cajun revelry.
For five days, downtown Eunice is transformed into a Mardi Gras hot spot where music from the best-of-the-best live Cajun French bands resounds, and revelers dance the days away to the Zydeco beat. There is Cajun food galore to try, and local art vendors sell crafts that reflect the geography and culture of the region.
On the Sunday before Mardi Gras, the festival also showcases a traditional boucherie. The community comes together for this event to watch as pork dishes, such as boudin, cracklin, and backbone stew, are expertly prepared throughout the day. The chefs explain the process in both English and Cajun French to those standing by, and participants can purchase samples of the authentic Cajun dishes.
“The Eunice Cajun Mardi Gras Festival is truly authentic. You can’t duplicate it. It’s who we are; it’s what we do,” said Scott Fontenot, Eunice Mayor. “This festival is an excellent opportunity to experience the traditions that are important to this region of Louisiana.”
Lafayette
On Mardi Gras day, participants deck themselves from head to toe in colorful, hand-made costumes, which include masks and tall, pointed hats, known as capuchons. In the morning, the revelers take to the streets on horseback or on foot and wind through the countryside. They parade past farms, stopping to playfully “beg” for food and drinks from local families who are cooking outside along the way. At different points along the route, the leader of the of the parade, referred to as the capitaine, releases a chicken for the frenzied revelers to run after. When the entourage arrives back in town mid-afternoon, they partake in a tasty communal gumbo.
While this festivity is special to folks of all ages in the area, runners must register and be 18 or older to participate. To ensure that children can safely join in this tradition, the City of Eunice also organizes a courir for kids, between the ages of 1 and 14 years old. Eunice’s Lil’ Mardi Gras run takes place the weekend before Mardi Gras.
“I love the children’s run because it was such a special part of my childhood, and it opened my eyes to our traditions and culture. It’s exciting for my kids to experience it and keep the tradition alive. We want our heritage to stay alive,” said Alicia Mire, the tourism director for the City of Eunice.
Other Mardi Gras events to be on the lookout for in St. Landry Parish are the Opelousas Mardi Gras Parade and Zyde Gras on the Square, where Keith Frank will liven up the downtown plaza with his Zydeco hits. For more information on the Mardi Gras events throughout St. Landry Parish, visit: www.cajuntravel.com/mardis-gras-events/
Another highlight of the festival is an unconventional parade, known as the Courir de Mardi Gras. In Eunice and surrounding towns, people don’t just watch the parade -- they are the parade!
By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi, stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com
Acadiana is famous for its family-friendly atmosphere and events for everyone. In Lafayette Parish, that extends to Mardi Gras.
The city of Lafayette emphasizes safety throughout the Carnival season. One parade route runs through downtown and along Johnston Street, ending at Cajun Field. Barricades along the entire route keep parade-goers safe. All float drivers are trained and drive brand-new trucks, which reduces the risk of breakdowns. The police and public works departments spend several months planning with parade organizers, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the entire season.
The celebrations extend to smaller Lafayette Parish communities. Towns such as Carencro, Youngsville and Scott have created their own popular parades that showcase a close-knit charm. Neighbors and friends gather and welcome visitors in an atmosphere that often feels like a big family reunion. In 2024, a new krewe, Carnivale de Beausoleil, formed in Broussard, as the town looks to grow its Mardi Gras celebrations.
In addition, Le Festival de Mardi Gras a Lafayette at Cajun Field is a fiveday fair at the end of the parade route. The 2025 festival will take place on Feb. 28 and March 1-4. The fair boasts live musical performances, rides and amusements for all ages. It has become an ideal location for families to wait for the parades and stay occupied through the day and night. Parking is available near the fair, and there is special RV and camper parking across the street.
The Greater Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Association works almost
year-round with krewes, government leaders, business owners, first responders and public safety officials to plan each Carnival season. They also work to raise awareness among parents to place a note in each child’s pocket with the child’s name, address and contact phone number – great advice for any event involving crowds. The result is an environment for Mardi Gras where everyone feels comfortable.
• March 3, 2025, 6 pm: Queen Evangeline’s Parade
• March 4, 2025, 10 am: King Gabriel’s Parade
• March 4, 2025, 1 pm: Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival Parade
• March 4, 2025, 2:30 pm:
Gras, in the heart of Louisiana’s Cajun and
The Northshore flaunts their Funky and Family Friendly Vibe throughout the Mardi Gras Season
is article is brought to you by Visit the Northshore and Louisiana O ce of Tourism.
By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi, stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com
Mariners, mowers, and ‘Milkshakers’—what do these three things have in common? You can spot each of them at the Northshore’s parades during the Carnival season! A two-month long extravaganza awaits Mardi Gras revelers on the northern side of Lake Pontchartrain, as residents promenade through the streets and waterways on decked-out boats, pushing decorated lawnmowers, and styled as eye-catching 1950s housewives. From Madisonville to Slidell, the Northshore shimmers with a unique assortment of parades and events that are fun and inviting for the entire family.
One parade that is certain to have the whole family involved is the Krewe of Kidz Wagon Parade in Slidell’s Olde Towne. It is the first of the Fat Tuesday parades to roll, and the colorful creativity of the kids and their families will be on display for the whole community to celebrate. The family focus of the Northshore parade line-up also spotlights family pets. In parades such as the Krewe de Paws, it’s the dogs who take a turn and strut their stuff, making their humans proud. Two more pet parades, Krewe du Pooch and Mardi Paws, which occur after Fat Tuesday, are quite ‘fetching’, as well.
The Northshore’s Mardi Gras festivities are rooted in a deep admiration for traditions, both new and old. This year, the Krewe of Bogue Falaya will enjoy their second annual Lundi Gras second line in Downtown Covington. The group successfully revived the century old Covington tradition in 2024. The new Krewe of Majestic will also
make their debut in Covington in the upcoming 2025 season.
Other fanciful mainstays of the season are Madisonville’s Krewe of Tchefuncte where boat-floats cruise down the river, and the Krewe of Push Mow which moseys through Abita Springs with their brigade of lawnmowers and home-made floats. The Krewe of Bush likes to keep things interesting with their choose-your-own-vehicle parade model, where riders take to their ATVs, horses, dune buggies, and more. Unique parades painting the town in the Slidell and Pearl River area are the arts-focused Krewe of Mona Lisa and Moon Pie, the charitable Krewe of Pearl River Lion’s Club, and the Krewe of Bilge, where the watercraft reign supreme.
On January 6, also known as King’s Day, the Mardi Gras season kicks off, and the ‘Mande Milkshakers’ dance group leads the party with the Mande King’s Day Parade on Lakeshore Drive. Meanwhile, the community in Covington is taking a step back in time with the Medieval-themed, St. John Fools of Misrule March. In the following weeks, the sweeping Krewes of Olympia, Titans, Poseidon, Dionysus, Antheia, Eve and Selene will light up the avenues with mirth as their extravagant floats sail through the crowds to the beat of the marching band drum lines. Then the Covington Lions Club and Krewe of Bogue Falaya will bring the festivities to a close on the final day of revelry as the merrymakers converge at the free Covington Trailhead After-Party. The free-to-ride Krewes of Chahta and Folsom will also roll on Mardi Gras Day, celebrating their local pride and honoring the area’s first responders.
Making Mardi Gras Memories in the Louisiana Cajun Bayou
is article is brought to you by Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou and Louisiana O ce of Tourism.
By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi, stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com
The magic of Mardi Gras comes alive every year in a parish known as Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou. Thirty-five miles south of New Orleans, in Lafourche Parish, locals and visitors come together to celebrate this effervescent holiday with a flurry of activities showcasing the area’s authentic Cajun culture and cuisine.
In 2025, the newly dubbed Louisiana King Cake Festival will kick off the Carnival season in downtown Thibodaux on February 15. The festival was previously known as the Bayou King Cake Festival but has now added “Louisiana” to its name to denote its status as the one-andonly king cake festival in all of Louisiana.
“It’s been a great, new event for our area,” said Cody Gray, president and CEO of Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou Tourism. The festival doubled in size between years one and two, with 6,500 attendees in 2024. Vendors served up a total of 19,000 delicious bites of king cake, and the buzz the festival garnered is likely to attract many more vendors and visitors in 2025. This popular event is organized by the Lafourche Education Foundation, and by attending, individuals support local schools and educational initiatives.
The excitement of Mardi Gras-themed cuisine doesn’t stop with the festival. Many local eateries and grocery stores serve up unique Mardi Gras bites throughout the entire season. Lafourche bakeries, such as
Cajun Pecan House and Duet’s Bakery, are well-known for their variety of famous king cakes. Cajun Pecan House will even ship out customer purchases, so you can share the taste of Mardi Gras with loved ones around the world. Spahr’s Seafood offers their King Cake Beignets, and Bourgeois Meat Market releases their savory boudin king cake to the adoring public. If you can’t seem to make up your mind on salty or sweet, another hearty option is Grady V’s “King Cake Burger”.
From February 22nd until Mardi Gras Day, there will be parades every weekend, with a total of 14 krewes taking to the streets during the Mardi Gras season.
“The parades in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou capture all the pomp and circumstance that you would find in larger cities, like New Orleans, while taking a family-friendly approach that is inviting to parade-goers of all ages. People come from far and wide to attend our parades. It’s very special to come here and engage with locals and revelers who are eager to share our Mardi Gras traditions,” said Gray. “Be sure to bring a bag!” he added, as parade-goers always walk away with plenty of parade memorabilia. Experiencing Mardi Gras on the bayou will leave visitors with memories that will last a lifetime. Check out www.lacajunbayou. com/calendar-of-events/mardi-gras for updates on the Lafourche Parish parades and Mardi Gras events in 2025.
If you are looking for more information on Mardi Gras festivities statewide, please visit mardigras.explorelouisiana.com.
One of the best places to enjoy authentic Mardi Gras experiences is Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, located just 35 miles south of New Orleans. The people of Lafourche Parish have a special zest for life which they demonstrate through many family-friendly parades up and down bayou Lafourche. Whether you’re eating or drinking, catching beads or throwing them, one thing is certain, you’ll be greeted to big smiles and friendly waves from the people that call Lafourche Parish home and who are eager to celebrate with you!
Parades Even More
SLIDELL
The Krewe of Bilge’s 47th annual boat parade in Eden Isles starts at Noon on Saturday, February 15. 2025, with its theme, America the Beautiful. Reigning as King Neptune XLI is Tony Chivelto. Twenty decorated boats such as “Key West,” “Las Vegas,” and “Louisiana— Sportman’s Paradise” will be presented and nearly 400 people will participate. Special boats carry the Captain, Grand Marshal, King, Queen, and Maids. Prizes are awarded to the top entries. The club was founded in 1978. Bilge’s annual ball is on February 1 at the Northshore Harbor Center in Slidell where Queen Neptune will be selected. The boat parade starts at Marina Café on Harbor Drive and ends at The Dock. From the Marina Café, the parade passes through the marina basin past The Dock and then turns north and enters what is known as the “Clipper Canal.” Then to Firehouse Canal boats travel north along the Eden Isles side of the canal to the East Eden Isles Boulevard bridge where it changes course. The parade then goes south retracing its route down the canal back toward Hwy. 11 (Pontchartrain Boulevard) and to the West Eden Isles Boulevard bridge. kreweofbilge.com
MADISONVILLE
Organized in 1973, the Krewe of Tchefuncte grew out of a love for the Tchefuncte River and the traditions and history of the town of Madisonville located on Louisiana Hwy. 22 between Mandeville and Ponchatoula. The krewe celebrates maritime life on the historic river. The Krewe of Tchefuncte will be “floating” again with a collection of vessels on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at Noon. This year’s theme is Krewe of Tchefuncte
ABITA SPRINGS
The 24th Annual Abita Springs Push Mow Parade rolls on a new route (see NOLA.COM) on Sunday, February 23, 2025, at 2:00 P.M. with the parade theme Nightmare at the Museum. This year’s Queen is Tulane professor Donata Henry, Abita’s 2024 Citizen of the Year. Approximately 35 entries may include trucks, tractors, trailers, walking groups, riders on horseback, and some funky looking push mowers. Facebook.com/ abitaspringspushmowparade
LAPLACE
Goes to the Box Office. His Royal Highness is Brad Haddox and Her Majesty is Mrs. Marie Pennington. The boats start at Salty’s Marina, then go downriver through the bridge to Marina del Ray where they turn and dock on both the north and south sides of the Hwy. 22 bridge. The Royal Court, hosted by the queen, will be presented at the ball held Saturday, February 8, 2025, at the River Mill at Coquille Parks and Recreation. kreweoftchefuncte.org
HAMMOND
Organized in 1986, the Krewe of Omega began as a group of Southeastern Louisiana University students just looking to have fun. Since its humble beginnings, the Krewe of Omega has grown to include traditional New Orleans style floats, royalty, an annual ball, and various other events throughout the year for its membership to enjoy. The krewe rolls down the streets of Downtown Hammond as a safe and family friendly parade, on Friday, February 21, 2025. King and Queen Omega XXXIX are Jeremy and Keysha Robinson. Serving as Grand Marshal is model and actress, Ms. Kasia Trepagnier. kreweogomega.org.
The Krewe of Agape Carnival Organization, founded in 1980, will present its first ever parade with the theme The Krewe of Agape Celebrates the World of Anniversaries on Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 11:00 A.M. Look for about 450 riders aboard 14 Jack Rizzuto floats.
PEARL RIVER
For more than a quarter century the Pearl River Lions Club has sponsored a Mardi Gras parade. Proceeds benefit the Louisiana Lions League for Crippled Children in Leesville, Louisiana. Trophies are presented in several categories. This year’s parade will roll at 1:00 P.M. on Sunday, February 16, with the theme Louisiana State of Mind.
KREWE OF AGAPE PARADE ROUTE
Omega royalty XXXIX Keysha Robinson and Jeremy Robinson
mardi gras scene
2024
CARNIVAL SEASON REVIEW
On balance, most observers declared the 2024 Carnival season as solid and rather ordinary. And after the post-Covid Carnival uncertainty, ordinary was just fine, thank you.
It was good to be able to put a number on the economic impact of Carnival —$890 million according to a study released by Tulane University on Twelfth Night. Speaking of money, philanthropy continues to be embraced by more parading krewes, a welcomed trend.
The City’s expanded effort at protecting the environment through its Recycle Dat initiative was impressive. In the second year of the program, more than 10 tons of material was collected.
The attention focused on the preseason, alternative krewes was deserved as these walking clubs continue to enhance the artistry and diversity in Carnival.
While not as many people costume on Fat Tuesday, there has been an explosion in the wearing of purple, gold, and green clothing.
The king cake industry has also shown significant growth.
Jefferson Parish gained the West Bank parades of Music and Nandi. Things went smoothly in St. Tammany Parish except for the Krewe of Olympia, which rolled in torrential rains. The addition of the new Krewe of Bogue Falaya Lundi Gras celebration and its Fat Tuesday parade in Covington were big hits.
The year was not without its problems, however, starting with a major snafu on opening night when a four-unit tandem Cleopatra float hit a tree,
Brothers Osborne 2025 Orpheuscapade entertainers
delaying not only its parade but also the Krewe of Alla that followed. The predicted heavy rain on Saturday caused some New Orleans and Metairie parades to move, others to march without bands, and several to get very wet.
Fat Tuesday delays caused some truck parade riders in New Orleans to not complete their route until near 7 P.M.
Jefferson Parish lost the Krewe of Jefferson truck parade during the summer, Little Rascals in November, and Culinary Queens two weeks before it was scheduled to roll. Then, for the third consecutive year, the new Krewe of Caerus pulled up days before parade day.
2025
CARNIVAL SEASON PREVIEW
So with Fat Tuesday being so late, what can we expect this Carnival season?
Traditionally a late Mardi Gras welcomes the spring break crowd and pleasant weather. Since 1857 when the first Comus parade was staged, Mardi Gras
give them more time for other Mardi Gras activities. The King’s toast will also be earlier, moving from later in the afternoon to around 11 A.M.
BY ARTHUR HARDY
Bianca Del Rio Bio 2025 Orpheus Monarch
parades have rolled on March 4 only four times; mostly recently in 2003 and 2014. On those occasions there was no rain but the temps were on the cool side, averaging a high of 54 and a low of 47.
Last summer New Orleans Councilman J. P. Morrell’s new City Council Carnival Committee recommended that the troubled Krewe of Nyx’s parade permit be pulled.
He also sent to the City Council an ordinance (with no serious opposition) that will forever change the way Mardi Gras parades are viewed. If enforced, no longer will parade goers be allowed to erect tents or canopies, rope off personal viewing space, or place port-apotties on public property. Open flame grills are also banned.
The Rex Organization announced that the Queen of Carnival’s reviewing stand will be moved from the InterContinental Hotel to Pascal’s Manale Restaurant for its 2025 parade. The new location is at Napoleon Avenue and Dryades Street, 11 blocks from the parade’s start. The change will allow the court to watch the entire parade and
The Krewe of Endymion’s post-parade Extravaganza, headlined by Katy Perry, will return to the Superdome, and its full pre-COVID parade route has been restored.
Bacchus landed Shaquille O’Neal to reign as king, and the Krewe of Orpheus’s headliner will be the Brothers Osborne.
For the first time in its 93-year history, Alla will feature Black royalty.
The American Red Cross will up its visibility during the Carnival season in New Orleans (see story on page 48).
The Krewe of Femme Fatale has added 400 members for its 2025 parade.
Some parades are moving. For the past few years, as the final parade in a triple-header on the first Friday of the parade season, the Krewe of Alla
parade has ended past midnight. This year Alla will slide into the Wednesday night slot vacated by the Krewe of Nyx and will follow Druids starting on Jefferson and Magazine. Cleopatra will move its starting point to Napoleon and Tchoupitoulas. The move away from plastic and towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly throws continues in 2025.
Parading clubs celebrating special anniversaries in 2025 include Elks Orleanians (90), Choctaw (90), Pontchartrain (50), Pygmalion (25), Muses (25), Morpheus (25), and Poseidon (10).
The Jefferson Parish lineup continues to evolve. The Krewe of Caerus, which has tried the past three years to mount a parade, will not roll, nor will the Culinary Queens of New Orleans. The West Bank route for Nandi and Music has been extended. The Krewe
Slidell gets into the Carnival season spirit when the Krewe of Titans takes to the streets of this St. Tammany Parish city on the traditional parade route with the theme BE MY VALENTINE. With more than 550 riders, the krewe will ride 26 floats with such themes as Sweethearts at Sea, The Love Boat and Let’s Taco ‘bout Love. Two tandem floats will be part of the procession, including the three-part Titans of Love float and the two-part Aloha Mi Amor. The krewe will also debut an LED prop on the title float. Chris Sturcken and Toni Gebbia will reign over the festivities, with grand marshals including WGNO personalities LBJ, Amy Russo and Carrigan Chauvin. Riders will throw Valentine stuffed bears, heart sunglasses, lighted fleur de lis wands, wrap koozies, footballs, flip flops, and a lighted medallion throw. The ball will be January 25 at The Harbor Center.
of Kings returns for the first time since 2020 and will follow Centurions on Lundi Gras. The Krewe of Little Rascals parade returns after a one-year hiatus. Atlas moves back into its firstweekend slot during Family Gras on Sunday, February 23.
On the Northshore, the walking club Mona Lisa and Moon Pie returns and will march on February 22. In Madisonville, the Krewe of Tchefuncte has a new starting time of Noon on February 22.
Next year Fat Tuesday falls two weeks earlier than this year— on February 17.
TITANS
The Krewe of Titans is in its 14th year of parading. The mighty Titans were a powerful race that ruled the world before the Olympians. The club was established by a group of men desirous of riding in a night parade through the streets of Slidell. Since 2016 Titans has rolled as a co-ed club.
SLIDELL
Shaquille OʼNeal Bacchus LVII
Katy Perry Stars at the Endymion Extravaganza
In Greek mythology, Poseidon was god of the sea, the counterpart of the Roman god, Neptune. The krewe originally paraded in the daytime and moved to a night start in 2018. This group is not connected with the popular West Bank Krewe of Poseidon that paraded from 1959-2002. In terms of membership and number of floats, this krewe is now St. Tammany’s largest parade in history. poseidonslidell.com
WHATA WONDERFUL WORLD is the theme for the more than 750 riders in the Krewe of Poseidon parade as the St. Tammany group rolls for its 10th anniversary on 27 floats. The Pyramids of Egypt, Statue of Liberty, and Venice, Italy are some of the sights that will come to Slidell in the parade by PFJ Float Company. Five tandem floats will be part of the procession, which will feature King Poseidon X Jimbo Borchert and Queen Poseidon X Deanna Reine. Costumes are by D&D Creations. The parade will include the Honey Island Clydesdales, Mande Milkshakers, Disco Amigos, Chairy Chicks, Golden Sioux Mardi Gras Indians, Oui Dats, Farhad Grotto, Jerusalem Temple and numerous bands, with Southern University’s “Human Jukebox,” and the U.S. Marine Corps Band as annual participants. Riders will toss anniversary umbrellas, several LED items including footballs, signature beads, lanyard character necklaces and frisbees, along with T-shirts, disco ball beards and animated chunky chain necklaces. Purple, green and gold doubloons will be thrown, along with red doubloons by the riding lieutenants. The krewe held a gala earlier.
The Krewe Little Rascals was founded in 1983 and is named after Hollywood’s most famous kids’ group. The Krewe patterns themselves after adult Mardi Gras Krewes. The 80+ unit street parade in Metairie is one of the highlights of the early Carnival season. Little Rascals remains the longest-running and most popular Mardi Gras parade organization for young people in carnival history. www.thekreweoflittlerascals.org, kreweklr@aol.com, 281-798-1250.
Theyouthful Krewe of Little Rascals will return to the traditional parade route of Metairie along Veterans Memorial Boulevard with more than 250 riders aboard a dozen McKinley Cantrell floats that celebrate the krewe’s history, highlighting the late founder and captain Jack Spittler Sr. The krewe will honor his memory as only this organization can: his enduring spirit and boundless love for the children will live on in every single member that has been a Little Rascal over the last 4 decades. Since 1983 the krewe has rolled as a “kids only” parade with its traditions rooted in the spirit of Mardi Gras. The members range in age from 18 months to 19 years old. This year’s tableau is set in that same history. The young riders will be tossing bracelets, Frisbees, cups and wooden nickels. They will also throw a silver anodized doubloon.
ANTHEIA
Founded in March 2022, the Krewe of Antheia debuted on the streets of Slidell in 2023. The club describes itself as a sisterhood of world changers. As the Goddess of flowers, swamps, bayous and friendship, Antheia is a perfect fit for the Slidell community. The club is active in philanthropic projects in St. Tammany Parish. www.facebook.com/Antheia2022 kreweantheia.com
Slidell’s
Krewe of Antheia will be enjoying their parade with DAY DRINKING AND SUN SEEKING when the 17 floats take to the St. Tammany Parish city’s parade route. The 200 members will be on Mardi Gras Decorator’s floats such as Miami Beach, Costa Rica and Cruising the Coast. Watch for such throws as flip flops, coin purses, sequined headbands, sunglasses, fans, bracelets and signature cups. Reigning as goddess will be Tammi LaBarre and Rosemary Clement is the queen. The krewe will celebrate with a ball at Slidell’s Harbor Center January 18.
NEFERTITI
The Krewe of Nefertiti was established in 2018 as an all-female social aid and pleasure organization in New Orleans East, cultivating the community through volunteer service and fundraising. By recruiting diverse, positively driven women, founded on building a genuine sense of sisterhood while preserving the true spirit of Mardi Gras, the new club’s motto is “We Serve Before We Roll.” Their first parade in 2020 was a huge success. kreweofnefertiti.org
Carnival comes to Uptown New Orleans when the 250 members of the Krewe of Oshun process down the St. Charles Avenue parade route with the theme CHILDREN’S LITERATURE. Riding on 16 Rizzuto & Company floats, the parade will feature Queen XXVI Cayla Bean and Shango XXVI will be Marlon Dozier. Marching bands will join the colorful floats and participate in the organization’s annual band contest. Watch for riders to throw signature Oshun fans and footballs, along with beads and more. The organization will hold their annual Carnival ball February 15 at Xavier University’s William McCaffrey ballroom.
New Orleans East kicks off the Carnival season when the Krewe of Nefertiti parades with the theme PLANET NEFERTITI. The 250 riders will take to the streets on 14 Kern Studios floats with such titles as Traditional Mardi Gras, Space/Intergalactic, and Mardi Gras Royalty. The queen’s float will have royal trimming and the captain’s float will relate to the theme. Reigning over the festivities as Queen Nefertiti V will be Serena Williams-Nobles with Lashonda Tenner as Goddess of Egypt. Recording artist Denisia will be the grand marshal. Costumes are by Opulent Designs. In keeping with the krewe’s ties to ancient Egyptian royalty, the signature throw is always jewelryrelated. Also look for medallion beads with the theme and items for children and adults. The parade will roll to its inaugural Krewe of Nefertiti Family Day Fest with music, food and entertainment. The krewe’s ball, “Egyptian Experience, Babes in Outerspace,” will be held January 12 at a location disclosed at the time of the ball.
Traditionally symbolized by a peacock or a fan, Oshun is the goddess of fountains, love, wealth, and religion for the African people of Brazil, Haiti, and Cuba. The club was founded in 1996 and provides members and their families not only a beautiful street parade but also a year-round outlet for wholesome entertainment and community service. Oshun calls its king “Shango.”
With more than 2,800 riders, the Krewe of Cleopatra gets serious when they roll to CLEOPATRA’S TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS along the route. With titles such as Marine Biologist, CEO, Chef, and Pilot, the parade will feature the iconic Royal Barge and Queen Tutt float plus new signature floats: a high-tech title float and Cleopatra’s Nile…The River of Life, four units that join another quad float, two tripleunit floats and 14 tandem duos by Kern Studios. Cleopatra, who reigns alone, will be Greta Gloven. Alcorn State University will lead the procession with Warren Easton Charter High School, St. Mary’s Academy and units like the Muff-a-Lottas, Chaissez Ladies and the Disco Amigos. The krewe will throw decorated beverage glasses and cocktail recipe metal cups, along with theme go-cups. Lighted items include planes, swords, tambourines, wings, “Cleo” glasses and flags, plus pocket mirrors and brushes, lunch kits and nail files. Charm and bangle bracelets will also be thrown, as well as plush “Nile” animals. The Rendezvous Ball will be February 1 at the Hiton New Orleans Riverside.
CLEOPATRA
Named for the Egyptian Queen of the Nile, the Krewe of Cleopatra is one of the few Carnival organizations named for a historical figure rather than a character from mythology. The first Carnival club for women on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, the krewe was founded in 1972. For 31 years Cleopatra officially opened the metro parade calendar that culminates on Fat Tuesday. As her motto proclaims, “Her Beauty is Timeless, Her Age is Now— Forever.” In 2013 the club moved to the uptown parade route and now features more than 2,800 members. kreweofcleopatra.org
The Krewe of Eve began in 1986 when six women came together on the Northshore with a vision to form an all-female krewe. It started with 260 members. As a night parade, it’s known for its vibrant display of color, music and pageantry. Unique light-up throws, along with signature beads, are thrown from illuminated floats. Krewe of Eve Girls support numerous community organizations, including the Mandeville Police Foundation Toy Drive, Granny Gerties Christmas Stocking Giveaway, the local Food Drive, Habitat for Humanity West, Hope House and Safe Harbor. Through their dedication to community involvement and the celebration of Mardi Gras, the Krewe of Eve is an integral part of the Northshore community they so richly love. kreweofeve.com
EXCALIBUR
Excalibur is the latest entry in a long history of krewes that have taken their names from Arthurian legend. Named after one of two legendary swords of King Arthur—one bestowed upon him by the Lady of the Lake (Nimue or Vivien), the other pulled by him from the stone—the male and female krewe was founded in 2000 in Jefferson Parish. The medieval theme lends itself to grand costuming and gives the parade and ball a unique look. kreweofexcalibur.com
EVE
MAKES A SPLASH will be the title of the 2025 parade of this St. Tammany Parish organization when it rolls through the streets of Mandeville with 34 Mardi Gras Decorators’ floats. The 725 women will ride on three tandem floats, five royal floats and a Veterans float (The Sands of Iwo Jima), along with such wet and wonderful titles as Pontchartrain Beach, Waikiki Beach and Pensacola Beach. Also appearing will be Queen Eve XXXIX Debra Delony and King Adam XXXIX Bradley Delony. Costumes are by Charlotte Huges and Christie Frazier Designs. Several bands and marching units will join the beach-themed parade, including Bad Moms that Dance and the Master’s Touch Drum Line. A new Fan Favorite Award will be given to the group that receives the most votes online. In keeping with the theme, expect to see signature sand cups, beach totes, towel clips, velvet koozies, beach towels and wine tumblers made for the beach. A special glass bead with the krewe’s crest medallion will be thrown, plus a tie-dyed plush bead dog. Turquoise and silver doubloons with the theme will also be thrown. The krewe’s dinner dance will be held February 15 at the Castine Center in Mandeville.
St. Bernard gets rolling with Carnival good times when the Knights of Nemesis parade on Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette. The 300 riders will mount 15 McKinley Cantrell Floats for their annual street procession. Desi Romano will reign as Royal Knight XIX and Ella Showalter will be Goddess Nemesis XVIII. The knights will throw their signature parade T-shirts, as well as footballs, foam swords, medallion beads, frisbees, cups, foam sports balls, chips and spears. An August luau serves as the krewe’s gathering to announce the royalty in lieu of a traditional Carnival ball.
AKNIGHT
ON THE RUNWAY will be the Carnival 2025 theme for the Krewe of Excalibur when they open the Metairie parade season rolling down the traditional Metairie route along Veterans Memorial Boulevard. The 250 riders will be on 23 PFJ Floats that will include the title float and the maids in the court. The costumes are by D&D Creations. Reigning over the festivities will be Mark Bell-Prout as King Excalibur XXIII and Chanté Amos as Queen Excalibur XXIII. The Rhythm on the Route band contest, sponsored by Jefferson Parish, will be part of the fun, plus the Sunshine Kids will ride in the parade. A new signature throw for this krewe will be the Dragon Egg, an 8-inch hand-decorated keepsake that opens. The krewe will also throw a baby dragon shoulder plush. In addition to the blue and silver anodized doubloons thrown by the krewe, the captain and co-captain will also throw special doubloons. The organization will hold its Carnival ball February 8 at the Pontchartrain Convention and Civic Center in Kenner.
Celebrating half a century of Carnival memories, the Krewe of Pontchartrain will roll through the streets of Uptown on the first weekend of Mardi Gras parades with the theme PONTCHARTRAIN CELEBRATES 50 YEARS. The 350 men and women of the venerable krewe will ride on 16 Ducote Design floats with such titles as Pontchartrain Dreams of the Old Wild West, Super Friends and Super Foes, and Pontchartrain Circus. Reigning over the festivities in costumes by D&D Creations will be King Pontchartrain L Trent Richard Pouey and Queen Pontchartrain L Kristen Pouey Barton. The parade will also feature a band contest and members will throw anniversary lighted beads, a “Super Grouper” plush, a plush grouper hat, crawfish trays and anniversary baseball hats. A special 10-guage gold anodized doubloon will also be thrown. The krewe’s annual ball will be held February 20 at Chateau Golf and Country Club in Kenner.
On May 17, 2004, a group of former members from the Krewe of Gladiators and other longtime Carnival parade riders came together and formed the Knights of Nemesis Social Club and Parade. Named after the Greek goddess of retribution, the Knights of Nemesis’s mission then became “A businessman’s social club with the intent to promote business and fellowship within St. Bernard Parish.” Regional notables such as Walter Boasso, Charles Ponstein, Anthony Fernandez Jr., Billy Showalter, Craig Taffaro Jr., and Dr. Bryan Bertucci have reigned as Royal Knights. knightsofnemesis.org
PONTCHARTRAIN
During the reign of Louis XIV, Pontchartrain was appointed as France’s Minister of Marine. Taking its name from the lake bearing his name, the Krewe of Pontchartrain debuted in 1976 as the decade’s first new parade in Orleans Parish. In 1992 the male and female club moved its procession from the shores of Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans East to a mid-city/downtown route and changed the day of its parade from Sunday to Saturday. In 2002 the parade moved to the uptown route and established itself as a first-weekend favorite. www.kofp.com
The Legion of Mars, the first new Mardi Gras parade in Orleans Parish in nine years, was founded by combat Veterans 12 years ago to be the first parade to honor all those who have served. Previously, they paraded with the Krewes of Alla and Freret. Mars participates yearround in military-related philanthropy, including feeding veterans on Veterans Day at the VA hospital. The Carnival krewe also helps active military, veterans, and first responders when they are in need, such as following natural disasters. legionofmars.com
CHOCTAW
“To Promote good fellowship, contribute to civic good, encourage charity and keep alive the great spirit of Mardi Gras” is the mission of this club. The organization was founded nine decades ago in Algiers but moved to the East Bank in 2013. The krewe’s motif was inspired by a wooden Indian housed at the political association’s headquarters on St. Charles Avenue. The krewe pays tribute to the early Native-American settlers of Louisiana with its annual ball, the “Big PowWow.” Choctaw’s king, queen, pages, and ladies-in-waiting are known as chief, princess, papooses, and Indian maidens, respectively. kreweofchoctaw.com
The Legion of Mars, which annually salutes military and first responders, will roll this year with the theme UNITED IN SERVICE along the traditional Uptown route. The 500 men and women of the krewe will ride on 18 Kern Studios floats including several that honor military branches and services, including Purple Heart Salute (with medal honorees riding), Salute to Service and military branch floats. The krewe will also showcase a new Mars Healthcare Heroes float to honor local patriotic leaders in the medical community. The identity of Primus XII, the monarch, is not revealed. The queen is Madigan McDonough Spiers. She and the court will ride in the parade. In addition to the popular Mars camouflage “boonie” hats, items featuring military and first responders theme will also be thrown. The krewe will hold a bal masque January 31 in the Celestine Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency New Orleans.
It’s a big anniversary year for the Krewe of Choctaw as the 325 members mark nine decades with a parade entitled CHOCTAW CELEBRATES ITS 90TH ANNIVERARY AT THE SOCK HOP when it rolls along the traditional St. Charles Avenue parade route. The krewe will appear on 18 floats by PFJ Floats with such titles as Juke Box, Rosie the Riveter and Elvis. The monarch of the season will be Chief Krish Sekar who will reign with Princess Madelynn Roper. Costumes are by D&D Creations. The chief will ride on the signature Choctaw Chief’s Float. Throws to watch for in this colorful parade include hand-painted wooden tomahawks, plush tomahawks, plush spears, fanny packs, tambourines with the krewe’s logo, socks, and fuzzy dice. The krewe will throw a variety of Carnival-colored doubloons, as well as a Chief’s head cutout and tomahawk cutout doubloons. Choctaw will hold its annual Big Pow Wow January 11 at Copeland Towers in Metairie.
The Krewe of Freret leans into the music of New Orleans for their 2025 parade with 23 Kern Studios floats carry out the theme TIME IS ON OUR SIDE. The more than 1,000 riders will be on floats that honor local music makers, especially Irma Thomas, the Soul Queen of New Orleans. Floats include Trombone Shorty, Irma Thomas and a new Son of a Saint float, honored annually by the krewe. Reigning as King will be Anderson Lewis III and Queen is Carlyle Hebert Ryan. The organization will not throw any plastic beads but will be featuring hand-painted Mardi Gras masks, hats, fanny packs, reusable totes, coloring books, collapsible dog bowls, wooden medallion necklaces, earrings and packets of red beans and jambalaya, plus an eco-friendly bubble kit. The krewe will throw royalty, theme and sustainable wooden doubloons. The group will hold a gala party in January.
In 2011, seven Loyola graduates wanted to preserve Mardi Gras tradition, unify enthusiastic young professionals, support local industry, and infuse vigor into Carnival, while revitalizing the Freret corridor. Parading first in 2014, this krewe borrowed its name from a successful club of the past, the Krewe of Freret, which paraded from 1953-1993. The co-ed krewe has promoted environmentally friendly and locally sourced throws. kreweoffreret.org
SPARTAN SOCIETY
The Spartan Society, composed of the Knights of Sparta and the Mystical Order of the Phoenix, travels for Carnival 2025 and takes a romantic journey for LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ‘ROUND when it parades Uptown. The 400 co-ed members will ride 23 PFJ Floats with such titles as “Ich bin bis uber beide Ohren verliebt” (I am head over heels in love) – Munich, Germany; “Je t’aime de torte mon ame” (I love you with all my soul) – Paris, France, and “Nitakupende milele” (I’ll love you forever) – Nairobe, Kenya. Reigning over the festivities and riding on the krewe’s traditional mule-drawn float will be King Sparta LXXII Kimlee Rogers, with Jessica Sylest Taranto as Queen Sparta LXXII. Phoenix V will ride on a float. Costumes will be by D&D Creations and Sally Hedrick. The krewes will introduce mule-drawn chariots carrying goddesses Athena and Artemis, joining Ares and Apollo. Throws include a Sparta mystery throw, decorated platters, helmets, capes, beads, and a variety of doubloons from both organizations. The Sparta ball will be February 14 at Kenner’s Pontchartrain Center.
Renowned for the discipline of its people, Sparta was a city-state in southern Greece. This Carnival club was founded in 1951. After successfully staging tableau balls for nearly three decades, Sparta joined the parading scene in 1981 with a traditional-style parade that also used innovations employed by newer krewes. In 2020, The Spartan Society Parade took on another dimension by encompassing not only the Knights of Sparta, but also their sisters of The Mystical Order of the Phoenix. Sparta is the first parade of the season to present flambeaux and a muledrawn King’s float. knightsofsparta.com
UPTOWN
UPTOWN
Pygmalion was the king of Cyprus in Greek mythology, who fell in love with a statue of the sea nymph Galatea. The krewe bearing his name was founded in 2000 by a group of Carnival veterans who wanted to strengthen the quality of parades scheduled for the first weekend of the parade season in New Orleans. The male and female group paraded on the Mid-City/downtown parade route for its first two years, before switching to the popular uptown parade route. kreweofpygmalion.org
Aquarter of a century of parading will be the reason to celebrate for the 823 co-ed riders in the Krewe of Pygmalion parade as it marks its JOYEAUX ANNIVERSAIRE on the Uptown parade route. Twenty-six floats by Rizzuto & Company will carry out the theme, with such special titles as Sugar, Jade, and Gold. The krewe will also debut a new captain’s float. Reigning over the anniversary festivities will be Eric Heidingsfelder as King Pygmalion XXV and Kaelyn Kellogg as Queen Pygmalion XXV. Costumes are by D&D Creations. The riders will toss silver anniversary lighted medallions, Pig Head balls, “Pig Head on a Stick,” pig rings, necklaces, and lighted sunglasses. A special 25th anniversary doubloon will be thrown, as well as a captain’s doubloon and king and queen doubloons. The organization will hold their Carnival bal masque January 25 at the Sheraton New Orleans in the grand ballroom.
MADHATTERS
Feeling that the Metairie parade scene needed some new energy, the founders of this coed-club did not name it after a figure from mythology or history, but rather from a literary classic, “The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland,” written in 1865 by Lewis Carroll. The krewe delivered on its promises to present a parade in 2020 that featured interaction with the crowd as well as live music and a host of local celebrities. madhattersparade.com
Ahostof local entertainers will be featured in the Magical Krewe of MadHatters’ parade when it rolls on the traditional Metairie route under the theme MAGIC OF WONDERLAND. More than 800 riders will mount 34 Kern Studios floats with titles like Jabberwocky, Smokin’ Caterpillar and MadHatter. A tribute to the national champion LSU baseball team will be featured. Rockin’ Dopsie will be the MadHatter, while Dalila Seruntine will be Alice.Vince Vance is the grand marshal. Local celebrities as “Wonderland” characters include Rob Krieger, Zack Fradella, Sula Kim, Sharief Ishaq, Darryl Forges, Katie Moore and Leslie Spoon, plus Ian Hoch, Bobby Hebert, Mike Detillier, Mike Hoss, Chris Franklin and Scoot on the Air. Costumes are by D&D Creations and Molly Stackhouse Ernst. A variety of 15 bands will participate, including Amanda Shaw, Bag of Donuts and Four Unplugged. Throws include the signature hat plus an assortment of headwear, a lighted scepter, footballs, cups, doubloons, shirts and lighted beads. The Magical MadHatters Bash will be held on Twelfth Night at the Pontchartrain Convention and Civic Center in Kenner.
METAIRIE
Founded in 1965 with an emphasis on family values, the Mystic Krewe of Olympia is a secret organization for men that parades in Covington, Louisiana. It is also the oldest club in St. Tammany to present both a ball and a parade. The philanthropic arm of the organization, the MKO Foundation, lends support for the community’s first responders (the Covington Police and Fire Departments) and other local non-profits in the Covington area. Olympia’s motto is Ludus, Jocus, Societas—Fun, Merriment, Fellowship. kreweofolympia.net
The parade season gets going in Covington when the Mystic Krewe of Olympia takes to the streets with the theme NORTHSHORE’S BEST for 2025. The 450 riders will roll on 27 Mardi Gras Decorators floats. Zeus, the ruling monarch over the krewe’s festivities, is never revealed. The Queen and her court will be presented at the organization’s ball January 25 at the Castine Center at Pelican Park in Mandeville. Costumes will be by Christie Fraizer Designs. The riders will throw a custom pearl necklace with the krewe’s pendant, Olympia plush, LED lightning bolts, LED gloves and an LED Olympia etched bracelet. The krewe will also throw a silver doubloon.
FEMME FATALE
Founded in 2013, the mission of the Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale is “to offer women of all creeds and colors a unique opportunity to promote and support New Orleans’ cultural landscape through participation in the annual Mardi Gras season, while uplifting the community through various endeavors of engagement, awareness and social enhancement in order to further the growth of the organization.” mkfemmefatale.org
The venerable Krewe of Carrollton rolls into its second century with 650 riders in a parade titled CARROLLTON TAKES 101. The krewe will present 24 Ducote Design floats along the Uptown parade route with such “academic” titles as Animal Studies 101, Music 101 and Culinary Arts 101. King Carrollton CI will be Manuel “Guy” James Valvis and Queen Carrollton CI will be Mia Rose Adams. Carrollton’s court from 2024 will also ride in the parade, while the 2025 queen and her retinue will watch from reviewing stands. Costumes will be by Christie Frazier. The krewe is known for their signature white shrimp boots, many decorated by the ARC. The krewe will also throw a variety of beads, totes, backpacks, fanny packs, collapsible water bottles, cups, hats and Carrollton fedora. Also look for umbrellas, airplanes, playing cards, poker chips and seafood trays. The krewe will throw theme doubloons in a variety of colors, along with cutouts of streetcars and shrimp boots. The krewe will hold its bal masque February 21 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.
I’MEVERY WOMAN will be the theme for the 1,400 female riders in the Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale when it rolls on the Uptown parade route. Riding on 38 floats by Kern Studios, the krewe will carry out the theme with titles such as Teachers, Artists, and Lawyers. A special friends and family float will join the lineup. Reigning as Queen will be Yolanda M. Singleton. Costumes are by D&D Creations. Grand marshal is Olympic Gold Medalist and Hall of Fame basketball player Swin Cash, currently Vice President of Basketball Operations for the New Orleans Pelicans. Known for their generosity, the krewe will throw umbrellas, a variety of flasks, sun visors, playing cards, “loot” bags, acrylic LED cups, plush spears, fanny packs, tambourines, money clips, compacts, and a variety of beads with the krewe’s logo and several that light. Also look for coin purses, serving trays, and flip flops. The krewe will hold its Carnival ball January 5 in the Caesar’s Superdome.
Thelegend of Camelot comes alive on the streets of New Orleans when the Krewe of King Arthur rolls with the theme CARNIVAL GODS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS. The 1,900 riders will mount more than 63 floats on titles that represent various Carnival organizations that assisted or influenced captain Philip J. Fricano Jr. during the past 50 years, including his high school Mardi Gras ball in 1975 and the 48 years of his krewe. The parade will debut a PFJ Floats triple-unit Horse-Knight tandem float. Reigning as King Arthur XLVIII will be Demetrie Elijah Ford Sr. and Queen Guinevere XLVIII is Tammy Harper Sullivan. Known for their signature hand-decorated grails, the krewe will toss such tasty throws as Karamel Korn, Cheesy Korn, as well as lunch boxes, dragon neck pillows, notepads, LED coasters, foam swords, dish sponges, lighted crowns, socks, platters, Merlin and knight plushes, a baseball cap, throughout the day and a paint kit. Doubloons will include round and cutout in various colors. The krewe will hold its annual ball January 11 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans.
Named after the uptown neighborhood of Carrollton—once a small township located on the edge of Orleans and Jefferson Parishes—this parading club was founded in 1924. Initially known as the Seventh District Carnival and Social Club, Carrollton began staging the annual “Carrollton Carnival” on Fat Tuesday. The outbreak of World War II and a fire that destroyed Carrollton’s den, caused the club to retire until 1947, when the members reorganized and staged a colorful 12-float parade. kreweofcarrollton.org
KING ARTHUR
Organized in 1977 by the youngest captain in the history of Carnival, the Knights of King Arthur takes its name from the legendary British king and his men of the Round Table. The first three parades of the Knights were presented in the morning. In 1979, the group became the first West Bank men’s organization to parade at night. The Knights of King Arthur moved their parade to Sunday afternoon in New Orleans in 2001 and has perhaps the most diverse membership in Mardi Gras. kreweofkingarthur.com
Dionysus was founded in 1985 by a group of Northshore businessmen whose intention was to bring the first all-male krewe to the city of Slidell. It is now the oldest such club in the city. Dionysus’s royalty is selected at the Coronation Ball where the king and queen are chosen from the krewe’s maids and members of the King’s Club. kreweofdionysus.com
ATLAS
The Krewe of Atlas is named for the legendary strongman of Grecian mythology. The male and female club was organized in 1969 and was the first to roll over the now standard Metairie parade route. After parading off and on for several years, the club returned in 2020.
The Krewe of Dionysus will parade on its traditional Sunday in Slidell with the theme BACK TO THE BEACH for Carnival 2025, the krewe’s 40th anniversary. Floats will celebrate the great beaches of the world, including Daytona Beach, Venice Beach, Cancun and Ocho Rios Jamaica. Gary Frisard will reign as Dionysus XL along with his Queen Ms Valerie Pitre. In keeping with tradition, the Northshore High School JROTC Honor Guard will lead the parade, joined by bands from Slidell, Pearl River, Baker, Kentwood, and East Marion High Schools. Other units including the “Lollipops” and several local dance troupes, plus the Mardi Gras Cowboys horse group. The king will throw a special Dionysus XL gold anodized doubloon and the Royal Escorts on horseback will also have a special doubloon. Prized catches at the parade will be the Dionysus baseball hat along with T-shirts, koozies, cups and Frisbees.
After a successful inaugural ride in 2024, the Mystic Krewe of Music will roll through the streets of Marrero on the Westbank of Jefferson Parish for its second parade with the theme MUSIC THROUGH THE YEARS. The 350 riding members will ride on 18 PFJ Floats with such titles as Bringing That Beat and What a Wonderful World. Dr. Raymond M. Delaney Jr. will reign as King and S. Keon Foley-Griffin will reign as Queen. The krewe will throw signature beads, a musical signature pillow, towels, plus more. A signature doubloon will also be thrown. The krewe’s ball will be held February 22 at the Jean Lafitte Auditorium.
The mission of The Mystic Krewe of Music is to bond, unite, and evoke a harmonious climate with men and women of all nationalities, races, and or religions without bias. It is the mission of the organization to foster lifelong relationships and build an effective network that will promote local, national, and global impacts for the people we serve in business and personal relationships. Our mission is to enhance unity through the spirit of a carnival celebration.
PEOPLE PLAY will be the fun theme for the Krewe of Atlas parade along the traditional Metairie parade route of Veterans Memorial Boulevard. The 200 riding members will appear on 14 Mac Cantrell floats with such classic boardgame titles as Checkers, Monopoly and Twister. The parade will roll during Jefferson Parish’s Family Gras celebration. Royalty for the krewe will be announced at a later date.
For the second year, the 300 women of the Krewe of Nandi will take to the streets of Marrero on the Westbank of Jefferson Parish for a mid-week parade with the theme WELCOME TO THE MOTHERLAND. The riders will roll on 21 floats by PFJ Floats and Pierre Parade Productions. Costumes are by Opulence Designs. Reining as Queen Nandi II will be Jackqueline Russell. The signature throw for the new organization is a custom decorated teacup. They will also throw krewe emblemed crawfish trays and Nandi Baby Dolls. The organization will gather January 18 for a coronation gala at the Elite Ballroom at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans..
NANDI
The Krewe of Nandi’s mission is “to embody a welcoming and safe atmosphere for all women to unify and empower each other through sisterhood, community service, and social gatherings. Together we will use our gifts to strengthen our communities, while celebrating our work. As a krewe, we will be the epitome of unity, love and power. Our members will exemplify poise and class. We believe empowered women are unstoppable.” Kreweofnandi.org
Filling an empty slot on the parade calendar in 1998, the Ancient Druids wanted to provide New Orleanians and visitors with a first-class parade one week before Fat Tuesday. The parade has since moved to Wednesday. The club is comprised of Carnival veterans from several other Orleans Parish parades and is based upon the original Mystic Krewe of Druids, whose parades followed the Rex processions from 1922 to 1935. The present day club calls its king the Arch Druid and a jester accompanies him on the king’s float. The Golden Acorn Society sponsors the Druids Carnival activities.
ALLA
The Krewe of Alla was formed November 19, 1932, and was originally sponsored by the West Side Carnival and Social Club, Inc. The group was reorganized July 26, 1977, as the Golden Gryphon Society, Inc. In 2014, the krewe moved its parade from the West Bank to the Uptown New Orleans route on St. Charles Avenue and began accepting women as members. kreweofalla.net
The final weekend of Carnival capers gets rolling on Wednesday with the secretive Mystic Krewe of Druids when it takes to the streets of Uptown New Orleans for a parade with a secret theme until then. The organization, 26 years old, dates its lineage back to the early part of 20th Century. It holds no ball and has no queen or court but will ride 19 Ducote Design floats for the street pageant. The ruler over the group is the Archdruid, who’s identity is never revealed. The U.S. Marine Corps Band will lead the parade of 275 riders. Throws from this satirical parade will include scarves, koozies, LED necklaces, insulated tumblers, and cups. Doubloons will be thrown in a variety of colors, including silver, green, red, purple and black. A special Archdruid doubloon will be thrown.
TheKrewe of ALLA rolls on a new day and time for Mardi Gras merriment in 2025, rolling along the extended Uptown parade route with the theme ONLY A MATTER OF TIME with 450 riding members. The krewe will rolls on 18 Kern Studios floats with timely themes such as Time Flies, It’s Carnival Time and The Time Machine. Two of the krewe’s signature floats, the ALLAGator and the king’s float, will be reimagined for the parade. Riding the royal float will be King ALLA XCIII James J. Carter. Reigning as Queen ALLA XCIII is Gian Durand. D&D Costumes will be the costumer. With a focus on sustainability, the krewe will include a bar package with drink shakers, insulated wine bottle carriers, bar towels and other items for a home bar. The krewe will also once again throw the hand-decorated Genie lamps. In addition to the captain’s and monarchs’ doubloons, the krewe will throw a theme and a camel cutout “Hump Day” doubloon. The ALLA Bash will be January 11 at Le Méridien New Orleans.
Steeped in tradition, the Knights of Babylon do not release the theme until parade day each year, but the 370 members of the krewe will roll on the traditional Uptown route to their bal masque at the New Orleans Marriott where the queen and the court will be presented. The 27 Royal Artists floats will include such titles as How The Rhino Got Its Skin, How the Alphabet Was Made, The Elephant’s Child and The Cat That Walked by Himself. The identity of monarch of the parade, known as Sargon LXXIX, is never revealed. He will ride on a redesigned float for 2025. Costumes are by D&D Creations. Throws for the parade include a metal Babylon jester on a Carnival-colored chord, LED swords, float beads for the Gates of Ishtar float and the Babylon barge. Also thrown will be towels, socks and insulated drinking mugs. New for this Carnival season will be duke doubloons, and the krewe will throw horsemen’s doubloons and rider doubloons.
Babylon, the capital of Babylonia, was an important city of ancient Mesopotamia. Its namesake Mardi Gras organization was founded in 1939 by a group of men who wanted to stage a first class parade for the public and a traditional tableau ball for their ladies. Originally known as the Jesters Club, the Knights of Babylon continue to adhere to the traditions of their founding members. Babylon’s monarch, Sargon, king of Assyria (722-705 B. C.), reigns over the parade and ball. The identity of the king is never revealed to the general public. The title of Babylon’s elaborate parade and ball theme is also undisclosed until the day of the event. knightsofbabylon.org
CHAOS
The Knights of Chaos keep much of their goings on secret but the krewe of 200 will roll on the traditional St. Charles Avenue parade route with 16 floats by Royal Artists with a satirical theme that will be announced on the day of the parade. One of the krewe’s signature floats, Knightfall, will again be in the procession. The monarch that rules over the Carnival festivities is called Number One and his identity is never revealed to the public. The krewe holds no ball and does not select a queen or court. Some of the throws by the organization will include knight helmets, swords and shields. Also look for footballs and lighted beads. A traditional themed doubloon will be thrown.
Organized during the summer of 2000, the Knights of Chaos is made up of veterans of other parading and non-parading Carnival krewes. Chaos rolls on the Thursday before Fat Tuesday, a night that for more than a century had been known as “Momus Thursday.” (The Knights of Momus paraded from 1872-1991, when they departed the streets.) Chaos employs Momus floats and presents a satirical parade in the grand Momus tradition. The Knights of Chaos do not have a queen or court, and no ball is staged and the krewe does not have a public website.
MUSES
Founded in 2000 and composed of a group of women who describe themselves as “diverse in every way—ethnically, racially, and socioeconomically,” the Krewe of Muses is named after the nine daughters of Zeus in Greek mythology. In New Orleans several uptown streets bear their names—such as Calliope, Terpsichore, and Melpomene—which locals traditionally mispronounce! The krewe conducts community outreach programs that involve school children and the arts community. kreweofmuses.org
SYMPHONY
Originally founded in 2008, the Krewe of Symphony hosted traditional Mardi Gras balls. In 2022, Symphony was re-established with a new vision and presented its first Mardi Gras parade in Jefferson Parish. As an all-male social and pleasure club, the group re-emerged and expanded to the next level with its dedicated membership and guest riders. The krewe plans to come together like a symphony to form Mardi Gras’s most memorable experiences.
Celebrating their 25th anniversary, the all-female Krewe of Muses will roll through the streets of Uptown with a parade filled with humor and satire, hallmarks of the organization. The theme for the parade will remain a secret until the procession of 1,130 riders takes place on 26 floats. Some of the krewe’s signature floats that will be part of the procession will include The Shoe (which carries Honorary Muse), The Bathtub, The Ducks, The Goddessey (which carries the club’s officials) and the final Sirens float. Muses continue to emphasize “re-Muse-able” items and minimize single-use plastics. Throws include wearable beanies, totes, several lighted items including a collapsible light saber with sound, beads, duck and shoe headbands that blink,and the traditional shoe beads and bracelets. The signature lighted Muses tile beads are also thrown. The featured “shoe of the year” necklace will feature the 2025 boot. One of Carnival’s most desired keepsakes, the hand-decorated glittered Muses shoe are a treasured catch. The “A-Musement” private after-parade party generally features entertainment like the B-52s, Pat Benatar and Salt-N-Peppa.
The big weekend of Carnival gets rolling with the traditional artistry of the Krewe of Hermes when the organization rolls down St. Charles Avenue to the theme VISIONS OF JOAN D’ARC on 35 Kern Studios floats designed by Manuel Ponce. The almost 900 riders will be seen on floats such as Joan Dreams of French Triumph, St. Michael the Archangel Appears, Joan Envisions Victory at Orleans and Maiden of Orleans. Leading off the procession will be the bands from St. Augustine High School and Talladega College. A sustainable throw package, “Hermes Making’ Groceries,” includes jambalaya mix, purple grits and popcorn. The krewe will throw doubloons in Carnival’s signature colors, purple, green and gold, stainless cups, a variety of lighted throws including a foot wand, capes, wings, gloves, head wings, soccer balls and basketballs, as well as a neon foam sword, plus lighted theme beads. Hermes plush bears will also be thrown. Hermes will hold its annual bal masque February 27 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans.
Afittingnod to musical merriment will propel the Krewe of Symphony when it parades on the traditional Veterans Memorial Boulevard route in Metairie. A JOURNEY THROUGH LOUISIANA SOUNDS will be the theme for the parade, with more than 250 riders. The floats are by PFJ Float Company, and the costumes are by Opulent Designs. Reigning over the Carnival festivities and riding in the parade will be King Symphony VIII Durell Joseph Barnes and Queen Symphony VIII April Rennee Noble. Riders will be throwing tasty signature Symphony chocolate bars, lighted beads and Symphony socks. The krewe will hold its ball February 7 at the Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center in Chalmette.
The elusive nature of Le Krewe d’Etat will keep the theme of the Carnival parade secret until it rolls on the traditional Uptown route with 24 Royal Artists floats. Reigning over the masked festivities is the Dictator, whose identity is never revealed. Signature floats in the caravan will include Dictator’s Banana Wagon pulled by mules, Candy Wagon, Dictator’s Royal Navy, Dictator’s Guard and High Priest. Also marching with the parade will be the Dictator’s Dancin’ Dawlins and the Budweiser Clydesdales. The krewe will throw blinky beads, FRI-D’ETAT shirts, koozies for tall cans and old-fashioned glasses, color-changing cups, LED swords, fans, plush baseball, cowboy, jester and umbrella hats, socks, fanny packs, cocktail shakers, stress balls, playing cards and sunglass straps. Four colored doubloons will be thrown, including a cutout in the shape of a Mardi Gras ladder. Special doubloons will be thrown by the Dictator’s pages and riding lieutenants. Wooden nickels and the d’Etat Gazette newspaper will be handed out by Soul Sweepers that lead off the parade.
In the 1930s, when America was still reeling from the effects of the Great Depression, a group of New Orleans businessmen met and devised a solution to the widespread woe in New Orleans. They would expand the parade season by forming a new krewe. The club’s namesake is the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology. Hermes’s 1938 introduction of neon lighting as a means of float illumination was a Mardi Gras first. semrehclub.org
d’ETAT
Founded in 1996, Le Krewe d’Etat wanted to resurrect the traditional satirical style of Mardi Gras parades. The club’s first appearance in 1998 was well received by parade critics and by the general public. In keeping with its name’s meaning, the “Dictator” reigns over the streets in place of a traditional monarch. The krewe guards its secrecy carefully; the identity of its ruler is never made public. d’Etat’s Latin motto translates, “Live to Ride, Ride to Live” They were the first krewe to introduce the blinking bead as a Mardi Gras throw.
Founded in August 2000 by a group of life-long Mardi Gras veterans who dreamed of starting their own Carnival organization, the Krewe of Morpheus is named after the god of dreams. Morpheus’s first annual Grand Bal Masque was held in September 2001. Open to all men and women, the club actively supports local charities and is known for the quality of its bands. kreweofmorpheus.com
SELENE
In Greek mythology, Selene was the goddess of the moon and was Endymion’s companion. Recognized today as one of the metro area’s most successful krewes, Selene is the result of a 1998 meeting of a group of professional women who wanted to establish a first-class nighttime parading krewe in the city of Slidell. In their inaugural parade they rode with 260 members. kreweofselene.net
Marking a quarter century of Carnival parading, the Krewe of Morpheus will process with the theme MORPHEUS CELEBRATES 25 YEARS for the anniversary. The 800 riding members of the krewe will roll on 24 floats by Rizzuto & Co. with titles that reflect themes from the organization’s history. Look for 2010: Morpheus Dreams of The Classics, 2017: Morpheus Takes a Gamble and 2020: Morpheus Dreams of Aquatic Adventures. The festivities will be ruled over by King Wayne Meyers and Queen Christina Walls. Costumes are by Susie Colombo and Christi Frazier. Bands from six states will be included in the parade and the krewe will have its second band contest. Look for members to throw the krewe’s signature plush sheep, teddy bears and moons, plus hand-decorated sleep masks. Also watch for bucket hats and logo T-shirts. A gold captain’s cutout doubloon will be featured, as well as blue royalty and theme doubloons. Two anniversary cutouts will also be thrown. The organization will parade to its Morpheus Ball at Generations Hall in the Warehouse District.
The Krewe of NOMTOC (New Orleans Most Talked Of Club) takes off on an adventure for Carnival 2025 when it parades with the theme NOMTOC’S GREEK ODYSSEY through the streets of Algiers on the Westbank of New Orleans. The 720 riding members will be on 27 floats by PFJ Floats. Titles of some of the floats include Jupiter — King of the Gods, Two Loves of Adonis, and Chacta — God of Prophecy.
Reigning as King NOMTOC LIV is Jerry Alexander, with Queen NOMTOC LIV is Terri M. Williams. Costumes are by Laron Nelson of Opulent Designs. Featured riders, celebrating community, are grand marshal Cynthia Butler-McIntyre of Delta Sigma Theta and celebrity guest is Jamar McKneely of Inspire NOLA Schools. The riders will throw a special king medallion bead, lighted and not lighted. Also, the Jugman Piggy Bank will be thrown. The organization’s sponsoring club is the Jugs Social Club.
The annual ball will be February 15 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center’s La Nouvelle Orleans Ball Room.
Parading on the West Bank, New Orleans’ Most Talked Of Club (NOMTOC) is sponsored by the Jugs Social Club, which was organized in 1951. In addition to entertaining members and guests, the Jugs give generously to youth groups, schools, and numerous community civic programs. The size and quality of the procession have steadily grown since the inaugural 1970 parade of six floats, one posse, and a half-dozen bands. NOMTOC’s membership includes men and women. nomtoc.com
IRIS
Slidell
slides into the big weekend of Carnival with the Krewe of Selene parade rolling with the theme SELENE SALUTES ROYALTY. The krewe’s 535 riding members will be on 23 PFJ Floats with titles such as Selene Float, a new Purse Float and a new logo float. The grand marshal for the parade will be Karen Waldrup, a vocalist who was a finalist in the television competition “The Voice” this year. She is a native of Mandeville. The royalty for the krewe will be announced in early December at the krewe’s annual ball at the IP Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. Look for the krewe to throw custom glittered purses made by the members, plus lanyards, lighted beads, bucket hats, flyswatters, socks, totes, sunglass clips and back scratchers.
Carnival’s oldest women’s organization and the largest, the Krewe of Iris will take to streets of uptown with a mammoth parade with more than 3,660 riders on 38 floats with the theme IRIS, THEY ALL ASKED FOR YOU. The Kern Studios floats will carry out the zoo-influenced theme with such floats as Tiger, Elephant, and Alligator. Two floats will join the procession, a three-dimensional queen float and a junior court float. Queen Dr. Kim LaGraise Bent will reign with King Brian Charles Bent. The costumes are by Susie and Vincent DeNoux. The krewe is known for handdecorated sunglasses. Other throws include neoprene koozies and coasters, a tinsel tumbler, shoe charms, crawfish tray, fanny packs, a zebra print faux-fur shirt, playing cards, glitter gel, visors, scarves, an LED iridescent crown headband, a sunglasses bath bomb, an Iris flower straw topper, plus a sunglasses rope dog toy. The krewe will also throw a Tiffany blue logo doubloon, theme doubloons in Carnival colors and the captain’s Pegasus doubloon. The bal masque will be February 15 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.
Founded in 1917, Iris is the oldest female Carnival krewe in New Orleans. Recognized for innovation throughout its history, the organization also honors the mystery of Mardi Gras. In 1949, the Iris Tableau was the first Carnival ball to be televised, providing insight into the elegant pageantry that continues today. The krewe started parading in 1959. Iris riders wear masks, white gloves, and colorful wigs for anonymity. In 2023, the membership surpassed 3,600. kreweofiris.org
The Krewe of Tucks began in 1969 as a rag-tag group of Loyola University students. Known for its irreverence, the club takes its name from Friar Tucks, an uptown pub where two college students decided to create their own Carnival krewe after trying (unsuccessfully) to become white flambeau carriers. What began as a small nighttime parade of boats on trailers has grown into a procession of major proportions. In 1983 the parade became a daytime event, and in 1986 the parade route finally stretched to downtown. While the club has grown in size and stature, Tucks has not lost its sense of humor. kreweoftucks.com
ENDYMION
Founded in 1967 as a small neighborhood venture in the Bayou St. John-Gentilly area, the largest male krewe in Mardi Gras history is named for the Olympian god of fertility and eternal youth and for a racehorse. In 1974 Endymion morphed into a super club. Each year Endymion selects celebrity grand marshals such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Steven Tyler, Pitbull, and Maroon 5, who thrill the parade goers and entertain guests at the Extravaganza, held in the Caesars Superdome following the parade.
By 2015, the club’s all-male membership had reached 3,000, and attendance at its after-parade party totaled more than 20,000. endymion.org
The irreverent Krewe of Tucks tickles the funny bone with its annual parade down the traditional St. Charles Avenue route, with the 2,300 riders carrying out the theme TUCKS LOVES A PAIR. The parade will feature 39 Kern Studios floats with such paired titles as Coffee & Donuts, Barbie & Ken and The Birds & The Bees. Reigning over the festivities will be King Tucks LVII Chris Bynog and Queen Tucks LVII Ellie Platt. His majesty will ride on the krewe’s signature “royal throne” toilet float. The krewe is known for their signature toilet paper throws, as well as toilet sunglasses and toilet water guns. The signature throws of the krewe also include decorated plungers and toilet brushes. Aluminum and wooden doubloons will also be thrown. The monarchs and the members of the court, attired in French “maid” costumes, are presented at the krewe’s ball February 1 at the Mariott New Orleans.
The superkrewe Endymion will parade along Canal Street from City Park to the Extravaganza in the Caesar’s Superdome with entertainment by Katy Perry and the band Train headlining the glittering gala with the theme THE SECRET TEACHINGS OF ALL AGES and include floats Consulting the Oracle of Delphi, The Philosopher’s Stone, Parsifal and the Holy Grail and The Hand of the Mysteries. A new signature float for the new mascot, “Endy,” will carry 130 riders. The 39 Kern Studios floats will include 3,250 riders in costumes by D&D Creations. Reigning over the festivities will be Queen Endymion Emily Lousteau, costumed by Artistic Creations. The king will be chosen at the Coronation January 11 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The parade will feature 40 bands and marching units from eight states and five colleges and universities. Throws include lighted sunglasses, Endymion dome lighted wands, plush Endymion horses, individual float medallions both lighted and non-lighted, baseballs, footballs, lighted headbands, rings, coins, and silicone bracelets. The krewe will throw doubloons in Carnival colors.
2025 ENDYMION MAP
MID-CITY
UPTOWN
The mother of Horus and the sister and wife of Osiris in the mythology of ancient Egypt, Isis was honored as the goddess of the earth and the moon, a symbol of motherhood and fertility. This organization held its first seven processions in Kenner before moving to Metairie. The Krewe of Isis is the largest and oldest all female club in Jefferson Parish and oldest continually parading group in Jefferson Parish. The club moved its parade back to Kenner in 2020. kreweofisis.com
OKEANOS
decided to bring a Carnival parade to St. Claude Avenue, their neighborhood’s main street. Sponsored by the Sonaeko (Okeanos spelled backwards) Club, Okeanos is named for the Greek god of oceans and fertile valleys. Okeanos presented its first ball and parade in 1950. Though the original parade route has changed, the imaginative club continues to impress. In place of the traditional bal masque, the club presents an elegant Coronation Ball at which its queen is selected by lottery. kreweofokeanos.org
Carnival in Kenner rolls with the Krewe of Isis with the theme KREWE OF ISIS GOES ON A FIELD TRIP, saluting various sites and happenings. The 200 female riders will board 18 Ducote Designs floats with such titles as Rivertown Theater, Aquarium, and Circus. Monarchs for the parade and Mardi Gras festivities will be King Ronald Edwin Messa Jr. and Queen Natalee Elizabeth Fothe. Costumes are by Christie Frazier Designs. Serving as the grand marshals will be the Ladies of You Night. The krewe also holds the March to Excellence Band competition. The riders will throw decorated bras, collapsible water bottles, krewe-logoed towels, fanny packs, and pink sunglasses. A variety of colorful doubloons will be thrown, including hot pink, purple, and green themed doubles, with antique bronze and a multi-colored doubloon being available on a limited basis. The krewe will hold its ball January 4 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.
The unique Krewe of Mid-City parade will roll on the Sunday before Fat Tuesday with the theme IF EVER A SPRING DAY SO PERFECT. The 325 riding members will appear on 15 floats by Rizzuto & Company with art direction by Joey Mercer. Titles for the floats include Fluttering Butterflies, Swirling Winds, and Wild Confectionary. A new second section of the City Park float will feature the historic Carousel and a new king’s Bandwagon float will roll. Reigning as King Mid-City XCI is John H. Combel with Queen Mid-City XCI MaryAnn Ciaston. Costumes are by D&D Creations. The parade will also feature a band contest, the Charles A. Bourgeois Memorial Greatest Bands of the South. Throws in the parade will include king cakeflavored cotton candy, Mid-City Fedora hats, silicone coasters, socks, and metal cups. Doubloons will include those for the captain and monarchs. The krewe will hold its ball January 18 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel.
GREAT
AMERICAN ROAD TRIP will be the rolling title for the Krewe of Okeanos parade on the streets of Uptown. The 350 riding members of the organization will ride on 22 PFJ Floats for the 76th parade. A special float in the group is the Hippocampus, a double-decker float with a design indicative of two-tiered floats of the past. Reigning over the festivities will be King Cameron Burkes Smith. The queen is selected at the krewe’s ball by random selection from the maids in the court. Local entertainment icon Vince Vance will be the grand marshal. The krewe will throw five different gold crawfish trays, spice packets, jambalaya mix, red beans, coffee, soap and bio-glitter, plus headbands, Hippocampus medallion beads, Okeanos plush items and, new this year, socks. The 10-guage doubloons will include king’s and captain’s silver doubloons, theme doubloons in Carnival colors and silver, float-specific doubloons in black and wine and a teal Hippocampus doubloon. The krewe will have a bal masque February 1 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel.
The 2,400 men of the Krewe of Thoth will be taking a wishful look at Carnival fun when the parade rolls with the theme THOTH’S BUCKET LIST on the krewe’s extended, traditional Uptown route. The fanciful theme will be carried out on 43 Ducote Designs floats with titles Visit Key West, Fly in a Hot Air Balloon, and Watch the Changing of the Guard. Known for bringing Mardi Gras merriment to those in local healthcare facilities, the krewe debuts a new float for Children’s Hospital and neighboring Audubon Zoo. Reigning as King Thoth will be Jason J. Markey and the Queen will be Mia Gonzales. Grand marshals will be the National WWII Museum’s Victory Belles, who will toss a special doubloon. Throws from the krewe will include ice buckets, coasters, koozies, T-shirts, purses, sunglasses, fanny packs, and bar towels. A variety of doubloons, including pyramids, toilet paper shaped doubloons, dog tags, and a rectangular officers’ doubloon, will be thrown. The ball will be February 15 at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner.
Carnival’s fifth-oldest parading organization, the Krewe of Mid-City, was founded in 1933. Named for the neighborhood where its procession began until the 2002 season, the club introduced animated floats to Mardi Gras in 1947. Mid-City’s floats get their unique appearance from their tin foil covering, the only club to decorate in this manner. The youthful themes selected by this imaginative group make it a favorite among children. Some throws feature interlocking hearts and the French motto Pour La Joie De Vivre—for the joy of life. krewemidcity.com
THOTH
The Egyptian patron of wisdom and the inventor of science, art, and letters, Thoth is traditionally depicted with the body of a man and the head of an ibis. Thoth’s mythological counterparts were the Greek Hermes and the Roman Mercury. The uptown krewe was organized in 1947 and presented its first ball and five-float parade with 50 members the next year. The men of Thoth have become known as the “krewe of the shut-ins” because they design their unique neighborhood parade route to pass in front of 14 institutions that care for persons with disabilities and illnesses. thothkrewe.com
The most innovative and imitated krewe founded during the 20th century, Bacchus, named for the Roman god of wine, was the product of a 1968 meeting of 12 businessmen who had gathered to explore new directions for Carnival clubs in New Orleans. The Bacchus organization built the largest floats ever assembled, transformed the tableau ball into a massive supper dance with Las Vegas-style entertainment, and was the first krewe to popularize the use of national celebrities as monarchs—among them Bob Hope, Nicholas Cage, Will Ferrell, and Hugh Laurie. kreweofbacchus.org
ATHENA
The Bayou State gets the Bacchus treatment when the superkrewe rolls Uptown with the theme LOUISIANA FAIRS AND FESTIVALS, saluting the state’s myriad celebrations and with former NBA and LSU basketball star Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal ruling over the festivities. The 1,700 members will ride 32 Kern Studios floats with such titles as Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival and Rayne Frog Festival plus the iconic Bacchagator, Bacchasaurus, Bacchawhoppa and the Kongs on their way to the Bacchus Rendezvous at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Costumes are by D&D Creations, with Cajun Courir de Mardi Gras costumes by Vacajun in Branch. Bacchus was one of the first krewes to select a celebrity monarch. A trendsetter in the types of throws, the krewe will feature lighted hats and wigs in 16 different varieties, neck pillows, socks for each float, glass beads, kitchen items, a 3D Bacchasaurus puzzle and ballcaps. Several doubloons will be thrown, including a king and king mini, round and shaped riding lieutenants, shaped theme and several different doubloons for festivals. Bacchus Throws Guide available at kreweofbacchus.org/2025throws
Carnival’s majestic heritage comes out for a Lundi Gras procession when the oldest night parade, the Krewe of Proteus, rolls through the streets of Uptown, with the theme of SEAFARING SCOUNDRELS. The 230 riders with 34 horse-riding lieutenants will be joined by 20 Royal Artists floats, including Blackbeard Ghost, Barataria Pirates, Mermaids Grotto and Davey Jones’ Locker. Costumes for the glittering twilight ride are by Royal Design House. The U.S. Marine Band will be joined by bands from Warren Easton High School, Martin Luther King Charter School and the Roots of Music Band. The krewe, in keeping with tradition, will be illuminated by flambeaux.
Riders will throw a variety of Proteus-themed items, including the signature seahorse bead, red socks, footballs, a plush seahorse, towels and lighted beads. The krewe will also throw a silver sovereign and the riding lieutenants will throw a red doubloon.
The krewe will parade to its annual Carnival bal masque at the New Orleans Marriott where the Queen will be selected from the court of debutantes presented.
Founded in 1881, Proteus is Carnival’s second-oldest parading organization. Proteus served as herdsman of Poseidon’s seals and was known in Greek mythology as the shepherd of the ocean. The old man of the sea possessed the gift of prophecy and could change shape at will. From its first procession, Proteus has presented elaborate parades and tableau balls. In 1893, the men introduced the custom of “call-outs,” whereby ball maskers invite ladies in attendance to dance. After retiring from the parade scene from 1993 to 1999, Proteus made a triumphant return in 2000, when it became the first krewe to parade in three different centuries.
ORPHEUS
The Krewe of Athena Carnival Club, Inc., was established in March of 2014. Spearheaded by a group of Mardi Gras veterans, Athena was born out of the desire to create a Mardi Gras krewe open to professional women from diverse backgrounds. The Krewe of Athena Carnival Club, Inc., exists to promote a sense of community through sisterhood, service, fellowship, and fun. www.kreweofathena.org
XMARKS
THE SPOT as the Krewe of Athena celebrates their 10th Anniversary! With 700 riders, the krewe will parade through Metairie on 30 PFJ floats. Each float features coordinates marking iconic locations like the Taj Mahal in India, Florence in Italy, the Eiffel Tower in France, and the Pyramids of Egypt. Reigning over the Jefferson Parish fun will be Queen Athena X Destynee Jire’h Payne. King of Athena X is Justin L. Smith. Costumes are by Opulent Designs. A feature of the parade will be a band contest. The riders will be throwing hand-decorated Fedora hats, lighted beads, theme beads, neck pillows, umbrellas, plush throws and an Athena Doll. The krewe will hold its ball January 11 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
Themusical majesty of the Krewe of Orpheus fills the Lundi Gras night with Carnival revelry as the 1,560 riders take to the streets along the traditional St. Charles Avenue parade route with the theme AS ABOVE SO BELOW. Kern Studio’s 43 floats will have titles such as Riding The Winds, Down the Rabbit Hole and Up, Up and Away. New Orleans native Bianca Del Rio (Roy Halock), winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” television competition, will be the Monarch. Grammy-winning Brothers Osborne, will headline the post-parade gala. The parade features iconic signature floats, including the multi-unit Smokey Mary train float, the smoke-billowing Orpheus Leviathan and The Captain’s Galleon. The krewe traditionally mines the world of entertainment for celebrity monarchs and has spotlighted such notables as Neil Patrick Harris, Joan Rivers, and Patricia Clarkson. Throws include LED cowboy hats, sunglasses and metal cups from the captain’s float, a special captain’s doubloon featuring co-founder and music legend Harry Connick Jr. The parade rolls to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center for the hours-long Orpheuscapade.
The organizers of the Krewe of Orpheus wanted to give New Orleans a third consecutive parade in the tradition of Endymion and Bacchus. They succeeded, making history in 1994 by rolling with 700 members. The group chose Orpheus, the son of the Greek muse Calliope, as its namesake in tribute to the musical heritage of the founders of the club, including Harry Connick Jr. The krewe’s “Leviathan” float was the first to use fiber-optic lighting. Anne Rice, Whoopi Goldberg, Sandra Bullock, Glenn Close, Quentin Tarantino, and Gary Sinese are just a few of the celebrities to have appeared in Orpheus. www.kreweoforpheus.com
The Centurions were a dedicated battalion of soldiers who led the legendary Roman armies into battle. Named after those storied warriors, the krewe was founded in 1979 by a group of HarahanRiver Ridge businessmen. After presenting its first two parades on Jefferson Highway, Centurions switched in 1983 to the standard Veterans Memorial Boulevard route. kreweofcenturions.com
KINGS
The newest krewe in all of Carnival is the product of one of the most creative families in Mardi Gras history—the Cantrells. Mac Cantrell Sr. began in the float business in the late 1940s and through the years built parades for dozens of krewes, including Comus, Momus, and Proteus. Krewe of Kings founder and captain Mac Cantrell Jr. was captain of the Krewe of Thor from 1975-2013.
The Krewe of Centurions will be marking a big year when the Jefferson Parish Carnival organization rolls for its Lundi Gras parade with the theme CENTURIONS CELEBRATES 45 YEARS WITH LUXURIOUS GIFTS. The 300 riders will follow the traditional Metairie parade route with 18 Rizzuto and Company floats. Some of the titles include such gems as Pearls, Pottery and Champagne. Reigning over the anniversary activities will be King Dr. Michael Cash and Queen Stacie Rasch, who will be riding in the parade along with the members of the court. Costumes will be by Mike McCoy, Augustine Massey and Glen Plauche. Plentiful throws will be tossed, including LED bracelets and necklaces along the Veterans Memorial Boulevard route. The club celebrated the anniversary at its annual ball January 18 at the New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District.
Carnival’s big day, Mardi Gras, starts with the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club’s annual parade through New Orleans, with 44 floats and more than 125 units carrying the 1,800 riders through the morning to the theme ZULU FROM AFRICA TO THE BIG EASY. A variety of new floats are parts of the parade, including African Elephant, Lion, Hippo, Leopard, Giraffe, Crocodiles, Jaguar and Zebra; plus a Pythian Theater float by Kern Studios. Reigning over the festivities will be King Zulu Rodney P. Mason Jr. and Queen Zulu Kristen B. Mason. Court maids will also ride. Costumes are by Artistic Creations, Christie Frazier Designs and O by Design. Grand marshal is Issac “Ike” Wheeler, King Zulu 2005. The hand-decorated Zulu coconut is one of Carnival’s keepsake throws and will be joined by a plethora of signature items, many from the parade’s iconic characters including the Big Shot, Witch Doctor, Ambassador, Mayor, Province Prince, Governor and Mr. Big Stuff. The krewe holds its annual ball February 28 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
LAISSEZ
LES BONS TEMPS ROULER will be theme for the good times in Metairie when the Krewe of Kings rolls along the traditional Veterans Memorial Boulevard parade route on Lundi Gras in Jefferson Parish. The 200 riders will ride on 14 McKinley Cantrell floats with such “good time” titles as Uncle Sam Jam, Sundays in the Dome, and What’s Your Flavor? The parade will also debut a new captain’s float for 2025. Reigning over the festivities will be King Dr. Thomas Cerullo and Queen Macy Spahn. Former Saints player Kyle Turley will be the celebrity guest for the parade. The krewe will throw a variety of keepsake items, including lighted medallion beads and koozies.
His Majesty Rex, King of Carnival, rolls into the Mardi Gras morning with a grand procession under the banner LA BELLE ÉPOQUE, filled with tradition and artistry carried out in 20 floats, plus nine permanent and iconic floats by Royal Artists. The 457 riders will mount such carriages as Nouveau Cirque, Mouline Rouge and Pelléas et Mélisande and the Bouef Gras, Jester and Butterfly King. For 2025, His Majesty will greet the Queen of Carnival at a new reviewing stand at Pascal’s Manale Restaurant on Napoleon Avenue. The monarchs are announced the Saturday before Fat Tuesday. Costumes are by Susu Kearney, Karen Massett of Masquerade Costumes and Royal Design House. Each float has a signature bead and sports towel. Also, a variety of stainless cups and several sustainable throws will be offered, including wildflower kits, bubble kits, coffee, hand soap and fiber totes. Gold and silver theme aluminum doubloons will be joined by a limited number of purple, green and gold doubloons. The reception ball will be held in the evening at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel.
Named after the fiercest of African Tribes, Zulu presents one of the season’s most anticipated and spectacular parades. Six years before the black krewe’s 1916 incorporation, the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club’s first King, William Story, wore a lard can crown and ruled with a banana stalk scepter. Louis Armstrong, who ruled in 1949, remains the most famous Zulu king. Zulu’s honor guard is called the Soulful Warriors. Along with Big Shot, Witch Doctor, Ambassador, Mayor, Province Prince, Governor, and Mr. Big Stuff, they’re known for livening up the Fat Tuesday crowd. kreweofzulu.com
Since his first appearance in 1872, Rex has been the global symbol of New Orleans’s most famous holiday. Sponsored by the School of Design, the all-male krewe is responsible for the concept of day parades, for the official Mardi Gras flag and colors— green for faith, gold for power, purple for justice—and for the anthem of Carnival, “If Ever I Cease to Love,” as well as for one of the most popular throws, the doubloon. The men of Rex operate Pro Bono Publico— For The Public Good. Rex selects an outstanding civic leader to reign over Mardi Gras, and his queen is always a debutante. rexorganization.com
METAIRIE
METAIRIE
The Krewe of Argus is named after the mythological, 100-eyed Greek guardian of Io. The peacock-emblemed krewe presented Metairie with its first Fat Tuesday parade in 1974. Entertainers such as Barbara Eden, Phyllis Diller, and Loretta Swit reigned as Empresses of Argus in the early years. In 1985, with a male and female membership that had tripled in size since 1982, a new custom of selecting royalty from within Argus’s own ranks was agreed upon. The procession is followed by the truck-floats of the Elks Jeffersonians. kreweofargus.com
The spectacle of Carnival reaches its high point in Jefferson Parish when the Krewe of Argus rolls down the traditional Metairie parade route on Mardi Gras with the theme LET THE GAMES BEGIN. The 250 riders will ride on more than 25 units in the parade by Mardi Gras Decorators, including the three-tandem Peacock float that symbolizes the ties to the multi-eyed character of Greek mythology. Reigning over the festivities will be King of Argus J. Garrison Jordan. Queen of Argus is Sophie Chailland. Costumes for the royals are by D&D Creations. A special throw in the parade will be Gus, the stuffed peacock in a Fedora, as well as other Argus signature throws. For 2025, the krewe riders will be throwing a special poker chip with a QR code. Doubloons will include theme doubloons and the captains’ doubloons. The organization will hold its annual Galaxy Ball February 7 at the Pontchartrain Convention and Civic Center in Kenner.
BOGUE FALAYA
The new Krewe of Bogue Falaya is actually a rebirth and rebranding of the Carnival in Covington krewe which paraded in in the St.Tammany Parish on Fat Tuesday. Parade viewers can expect a much larger presentation with more floats and members and more signature throws.
The Covington Lions Club will also parade on Mardi Gras day.
Atripto the picture show is the theme for the celebration of Mardi Gras in Covington when the Krewe of Bogue Falaya rolls with MOVIES IN PARADISE. The 600 riders will be on 19 floats by Mardi Gras Decorators with such titles as Hawaii Five O, Marley, and Havana Nights. A new signature train float, the St. Tammany Special will be unveiled to symbolize an era when the train was an integral part of daily life in the western portion of the parish. Grand marshal for the parade will be Lisa Condrey Ward, local hotelier and past president of the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation and Keep Covington Beautiful, as well as the Historic Commission and the Covington Public Art Fund. A variety of throws will be offered to the crowds, including wooden coins that can be redeemed and hand-painted artworks.
Elks Orleanians
Following the morning ride of His Majesty Rex, the Elks Orleanians Truck Parade rolls for a 90th anniversary with more than 1250 individual decorated vehicles rolling with an estimated 5,000 riders enjoying participating in Mardi Gras merriment to the theme IT’S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL. The Grand Exalted Ruler Douglas A. Schiefer of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks will ride. A traditional throw for this group is the Elroy plush Elk doll. Known for their generosity, the trucks throw a variety of collectibles and unique items including frisbees, footballs, anniversary cups, koozies. For the first time in more than thirty years, the Elks have minted doubloons and this year will throw ones struck in the Carnival colors.
Crescent City
Atradition on Mardi Gras, the Crescent City Truck Parade will follow the King of Carnival and the Elks Orleanians parades through the streets of Uptown New Orleans with more than 2,500 riders on 65 trucks. Each of the trucks will have its own theme and are decorated and ridden by groups of family, friends, classmates and colleagues taking part in the magic of Carnival.
Elks Jeffersonians
More than 2,400 riders will hop aboard 60 trucks for the Elks Krewe of Jeffersonians parade that will roll through down Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie following the Krewe of Argus parade on Mardi Gras. Grand marshal for the parade will be Ron Malinosky, a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War. The parade will also feature a special float with riders from “We Care for Special People.”
