French Quarter Fest 2023 – Sunday

It was cool and breezy for the day of the 40th French Quarter Fest (FQF), perfect for picnicking and dancing to local favorites. We started behind the Old U.S. Mint with Happy Talk Band. We’re used to seeing young people join the ranks of our city’s bands to learn from their elders, but the 10-year-old son of one of the band members truly held his own on keyboards. It was impressive.

Afterward, we tried the Cochon King BBQ Brisket Burnt Ends and got a box of Original “Yellow Bag” Crawfish 5lb Combo ($30) from Louisiana Fish Fry with NOLA Crawfish King – my first crawfish of the season.

My friend, Louis Sahuc’s wonderful photo gallery on Jackson Square closed after his passing, but his work lives on in a new 2-room location at 317 Exchange Place. We dropped in for the opening and were offered drinks and French Quarter stories as we celebrated Louis’ work. Then it was back to the music!

French Quarter Fest 2023 – Saturday

Saturday, day 3 of French Quarter Fest, is usually crowded but rain kept the stages empty for much of the day. Many people who normally drive in for the day from across the lake and other neighboring areas opted to stay home. Rather than face the impending deluge, we joined an out-of-town friend and her first-timer friends for brunch at Muriel’s on Jackson Square. In addition to my Shrimp & Grits, I was thrilled to share the Crawfish & Goat Cheese Crêpes

French Quarter Fest 2023 – Friday

French Quarter Fest (FQF) expands on Fridays to more of the eventual 20 stages of indigenous music and 60 local food booths scattered throughout the historic Vieux Carre. My favorite festival of the year, FQF is also one of the city’s most profitable – generating an economic impact of $190 million in 2019. We started our day at the Abita Stage with Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. & the Wild Magnolias singing local favorites, some wearing their beaded and feathered Mardi Gras Indian suits.

We’d been intrigued by the offerings from fest-newcomer, Monday, since spotting their sign yesterday promising – Whole Snapper (deep fried)

Mardi Gras Indians – Super Sunday 2023

Super Sunday is one of my favorite days of the year – especially for photos. Some of New Orleans’ 50+ Mardi Gras Indian tribes gather around A.L. Davis Park to show off their incredible suits of feathers, beads, ribbons and treasures. We arrived early to choose from the many food trucks and pop-ups serving everything from red beans and rice to adult beverages served in hollowed-out pineapples. Neighbors and friends gathered in yards and empty lots and around the occasional Rolls Royce, Bentley, or tricked out vintage car.

Riding in the St. Patrick’s Irish Channel Parade

Established in 1947, the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Club‘s Irish Channel Parade features over-1400 walkers, mostly wearing black suits and/or kilts with green accessories, who swap kisses (mostly on the cheek) for flowers and trinkets. Also included are bagpipers, the green-afroed women of Alter Egos, and the wigged, blue-stripe-painted, kilt-wearing men of the Braveheart Warriors Marching Club. But the parade is best known for the dozens of double-decker floats throwing everything from beads to cabbages – and this year I was one of the people throwing!

Fat Tuesday 2023 – Costumes!!!

Everywhere else it’s just Tuesday, but in New Orleans it’s the explosive fireworks finale of over a month of festivities ending in 7 straight days of parades. There are plenty of Uptown parades on Fat Tuesday – the Krewe of Zulu and Krewe of Rex are 2 of the city’s oldest, but after attending dozens of parades (and me dancing with the Pussyfooters in 2 of them), for us – Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday in French) is for wandering the French Quarter and Marigny taking in all the silly, imaginative and/or beautiful costumes people create. For my husband, it’s his favorite day of the year and he can spend weeks conceiving and preparing his ideas. This year was his most spectacular creation – the St. Louis Cathedral.

Krewes of Proteus & Orpheus Parades 2023

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.

Krewe of Thoth with the Pussyfooters 2023

I’ve often said my favorite way to see our city is from inside a parade and Carnival season gave me 2 opportunities this year – Carrollton and the Krewe of Thoth. Thoth, founded in 1947, has a longer Uptown route designed to pass hospitals and other care facilities people have trouble leaving for a parade. Their 2,500-plus riders on 50 floats are named for the Egyptian God of wisdom – creator of science, measurement and writing, 

I dance with the Pussyfooters, over 100 women-over-30 in pink wigs and corsets dancing in white combat boots.

Krewe of Tucks 2023

A favorite of kids of all ages, the Krewe of Tucks parade features hand-decorated scrub brushes and plungers as well as other toilet-themed beads and toys. The weather was beautiful as school marching bands and adult dance/walking krewes filled the Avenue and floats filled trees with festive toilet paper.

Krewe of Iris 2023

The Krewe of Iris is the oldest all-female krewe, established in 1917. The krewe’s’ signature throw is hand-decorated sunglasses.  I caught 3 pair this year and another 4 pairs of undecorated sunglasses along with other fun treasures like a fanny pack and a glitter-filled rain poncho. Iris is such a pretty parade with colorful, feminine floats like the fairy with motorized wings that open wide then glide back as the street-barge rolls the Avenue.