Lundi Gras is the last night of the big Uptown float parades. The oldest night parade is Krewe of Proteus – established in 1882. From what I can see, the beautiful floats still sit atop the original wooden chassis. Everyone I knew was too beat to go out or was conserving their energy for the Fat Tuesday merrymaking, so I went by myself.
My first full Carnival season after moving here was in 2010, when the Saints won the Super Bowl DURING the Mardi Gras festivities. It was amazing – and I blogged all about it – complete with videos! I attended dozens of parades, many of them alone. But I was never solo for long. Without my friends and neighbors there, I quickly met the UNO Officer stationed on my corner and 2 flight attendants who’d just arrived for their first Carnival. We all had a great night enjoying each other’s company and the spectacular marching bands and floats of the Krewe of Orpheus.
Orpheus celebrates musicians and performers. This year’s royalty had a boy band theme with Joey Fatone and other boy-danders as well as Glee‘s Darren Criss. I always enjoy seeing the float I got to ride in with Quentin Tarantino in 2014. I always love any excuse to remember that experience.
It’s impossible to describe the caliber of talent our local school bands bring to the parades. Some even have dramatic dance moves. And the dancers who lead the bands down the Avenue are incredible – throwing themselves into high kicks and back-snapping arches.
Favorite floats include the the Trojan Horse carrying a live band, the super-long Smokey Mary locomotive, and the smoke-blowing dragon whose lighted head moves back and forth,. But Orpheus is best known for their floats covered in vibrant and plentiful flowers flecked with gold.
I left early to join my husband for our annual trek from Uptown down to the French Quarter to be there for Mardi Gras day. As we walked past the tent city growing in the neutral ground for the early-morning Zulu and Rex parades, we realized Orpheas had stopped. The smoke-breathing dragon with the moving head had caught on fire. Fire trucks responded immediately and after a substantial delay, in true New Orleans style, the parade rolled on.
Next up – the amazing costumes of Fat Tuesday in the French Quarter.
L.A. to N.O.LA 