Carnival is a season. Mardi Gras is a day (Fat Tuesday). Though there have already been several parades this year, most of us still think of the French Quarter’s satirical Krewe du Vieux Saturday night parade as the official-unofficial start of “parade season.” Since 2019, Krewe Boheme (with a Covid interruption) has been rolling the preceding Friday. The whimsical Bywater/Marigny/French Quarter walking parade was established by artists and the krewe’s symbol is a green fairy – the nickname for absinthe, a super-intoxicating liqueur.
Krewe du Vieux pokes fun at local, national and global issues with floats featuring genitalia and politics. This year’s theme was Krewe du Vieux Beats Off with a red star in the “O” like the local OffBeat Magazine logo. The mayor was a favorite target as was women’s autonomy. The parade’s many brass bands are my pick for best parade music every year.
For over a decade, Krewedelusion‘s more family-friendly parade has followed Krewe du Vieux – until now. And the fun and festive group seemed unhappy with the shift to Sunday night. Certainly, the crowd size was impacted. A friend gave us a great throw – a cup filled with all sorts of tiny treats – but these neighborhood parades are more about dancing, spotting friends, and loving our city in our own way. Read more about the parades’ histories HERE.
The last of this weekend’s 4 parades used to be ‘tit Rex on Sunday afternoon. The tiny “shoebox” parade is my next post!
L.A. to N.O.LA 