The Krewe of Freret is fast becoming one of my favorites of the season. The Krewe paraded for 40 years until the 90’s then was reborn in 2011. Some members of the new Krewe are the children of the previous membership. Grammy-nominated Trombone Shorty rode on his Trombone Shorty float with the super-long trombone prop.
The goddess, Themis, represents order and justice and is a perfect match to follow the diversity-and-activism-driven Krewe of Freret. Locals know the story of why Mystic Krewe of Nyx members staged a mass exodus and followed with lawsuits and investigations. Krewe of Themis was formed by a group of those protesters who sought to create, “a group of diverse women committed to carnival, community, camaraderie, compassion, and social justice!”
Derrick Tabb led the disciplined and talented Roots of Music, a non-profit music program serving at-risk youth from 8-14. A founder of the program (and a CNN Hero finalist), Tabb is also the snare drummer of Rebirth Brass Band, the first brass band to win a Grammy. Fun fact – he’s also Trombone Shorty’s cousin.
The floats featured musical treasures like the lively Big Freedia, and the departed Professor Longhair and Allen Toussaint. Adult dance and walking krewes included the wrestlers of Lucha Krewe, the beaded corsets of Dames de Perlage, Femme Fatale, the Pussyfooters, Crescent City Fae, and the purple-afro-ed Alter Egos. I dance with the Pussyfooters, a non-profit of 135 women over-30, and I couldn’t have been more proud as they paraded past.
Sadly, this program has failed to let me reverse the order of these photos so you’ll have to scroll down to the bottom to see the beginning of the parade.
Next up – Krewe of Sparta
L.A. to N.O.LA 