I’ve loved dancing with the Pussyfooters in the annual Krewe of Jingle holiday parade for years. Sadly, the parade didn’t survive the pandemic, so organizers from various local organizations came together to create the first ever Children’s Hospital Holiday Parade. The float builders at Kern Studios created Louisiana and New Orleans-centritc floats like alligators and Mr. Bingle. TV cameras were set up throughout the city to report the action. Floating balloons (like in the Macy’s parade) were added to the many dance krewes and school bands crowds have come to expect. Continue reading
Tag Archives: 610 stompers
Inaugural Children’s Hospital Holiday Parade
Filed under Carnival, Charity, Culture, decorations and costumes, free events and lagniappe, parade
Tagged as 610 stompers, beads, Blaine Kern, Bryan Batt, Children's Hospital, Children's Hospital Holiday Parade, Dolly Parton, Downtown Development District, El Lucha Krewe, Femme Fatale, Femme Fatales, floats, french quarter, holiday parade, Jingle parade, Kern, Kern Studios, Krewe of Dolly, Krewe of Iris, Krewe of Jingle, Krewe of Jingle Parade, Krewe of the Rolling Elvi, La Lucha Krewe, latonola, Laura Cayouette, Lucha Krewe, Mande Milkshakers, mardi gras, Margaret Orr, Mr. Bingle, Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale, new orleans, parade, Pussyfooters, Rolling Elvi, Roux La La, Rudolph, Sassyracs, Smokey Mary, The Beyjorettes, the Pussyfooters
Krewe of Carrollton – Behind the Scenes!
The 4th oldest Carnival parading organization (after Rex, Proteus, and Zulu), Krewe of Carrollton is a fairly traditional parade with big floats and lots of bands and dance krewes. I was so excited to strut down St. Charles with my Pussyfooters sisters for the first time since 2020 – that I could barely sleep the night before. Continue reading →
Filed under Carnival, Charity, Culture, decorations and costumes, free events and lagniappe, Mardi Gras 2022, parade
Tagged as 610 stompers, Baby Dolls, carnival, Carrollton, Cherry Bombs, Dames de Perlage, Dames du Perlage, Femme Fatale, Krewe of Carrollton, latonola, Laura Cayouette, mardi gras, new orleans, NOLA Cherry Bombs, parade, Pussyfooters, the Pussyfooters
Krewe of Boo Parade 2021
It’s been over a year and a half since New Orleans hosted a big parade with floats – since Carnival 2020 – so the crowds were out in droves for Brian Kern’s Krewe of Boo Halloween parade. Meters’ bassist George Porter, Jr. served as King, and the Grand Marshal was rapper, producer, DJ Mannie Fresh. I dance with The Pussyfooters, a non-profit body-positive group of over 100 women over-30 in pink corsets, so my only chance to see all the floats and attractions is during the lineup. Continue reading →
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House Floats Wrap-Up
This year’s Carnival season was much quieter this year. No parades with their marching bands and screaming crowds. No music venues packed with dancing patrons. Bourbon Street was closed. In fact, the French Quarter shut down liquor sales in the French Quarter for the final weekend of Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday. But New Orleans managed to make the best of a bad situation and came up with some fairly marvelous distractions. City Park created a drive-thru parade – Floats in the Oaks – as a safe way to see the floats, maybe catch a dance krewe, and relive some memories. I got to dance twice with my fellow Pussyfooters and it was pretty great being able to make people smile as they drove by.
But is was “Yardi Gras” that really gave the city something to smile about. Another socially distanced version of Mardi Gras, Yardi Gras turned thousands of houses and businesses throughout New Orleans (and as far away as Australia and Abu Dhabi) into parade floats. Continue reading →
Filed under Carnival, Culture, decorations and costumes, free events and lagniappe, Mardi Gras 2021, parade, walking
Tagged as #MaskUp, 610 stompers, Acadiana Hay Ride, Alter Egos, Baby Dolls, Bearded Oysters, Camel Toe Lady Steppers, carnival, Chris Owens, Chris Owens French Quarter Easter Parade, Chris Owens Parade, COVID, covid 19, decoration, Dr. John, George Seurat, house floats, Krewe of House Floats, Krewe of Redbeans, Krewe of the Rolling Elvi, Lady Godivas, latonola, Laura Cayouette, marching band, mardi gras, mardi gras decoration, marigny, mask, masking, Max Bernardi, Merry Antoinettes, Muffa-Lottas, Muffalottas, new orleans, Night Tripper, Organ Grinders, Oui Dats, painting, parade, parade float, Pussyfooters, Rolling Elvi, social distance, social distancing, St. Augustine, St. Augustine High School, st. patrick, St. Patrick's, St. Patrick’s Day Parade., Sunday Afternoon, Yardi Gras
House Floats – French Quarter
“Yardi Gras” is the 2021 socially distanced version of Mardi Gras, where instead of crowding around floats throwing toys and beads, we’ve been wandering the city on foot and by car to see house floats – thousands of homes and businesses throughout the city decorated as parade floats. Krewe of House Floats promoted this safe parade concept, encouraging people to use local businesses and artists to help decorate their places, or go DIY, then register on their map. In the search for these fun and fabulous house floats, I’ve already covered St. Charles Ave., Magazine Street, the Irish Channel, Mid-City and the Garden District and Lower Garden District.
The historic French Quarter doesn’t have the luxury of large front lawns to take on their Yardi Gars displays, so lots of people chose to decorate their wrought iron balconies. My favorite is probably the Krewe of Sub-Krewe house with it’s life-sized paper mache 610 Stomper and Pussyfooters dancers. Continue reading →
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Tagged as #MaskUp, 610 stompers, architecture, Canal Street, carnival, COVID, covid 19, decoration, french quarter, garden district, historic architecture, history, house floats, irish channel, Krewe of Muses, Krewe of Zulu, Lower Garden District, Magazine St, magazine street, Muses shoe, Preservation Hall, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Pussyfooter, Pussyfooters, Rubenstein's, social distance, zulu
Krewes of Thoth & Bacchus Parades
After a weather rescheduling cancelled the bands and dancers from the Krewe of Muses parade, I couldn’t wait to dance with the Pussyfooters in the Krewe of Thoth parade. But Carnival had turned tragic again Saturday night with the second tandem-float-related death. To be honest, it was an odd day. I was grateful to be spending it with my pink-corseted sisters bringing smiles to thick crowds.
Founded in 1947, the Krewe of Thoth has a unique Uptown route designed to pass hospitals and other care facilities people have trouble leaving for a parade. Continue reading →
Filed under Carnival, Charity, Culture, decorations and costumes, free events and lagniappe, history, Mardi Gras 2020, parade, Uncategorized
Tagged as 610 stompers, bacchus, Bacchus parade, beads, behind-the-scenes, Carmelettes, carnival, cupid shuffle, Edward R. Cox, floats, krewe, Krewe des Fleurs, Krewe of Bacchus, Krewe of Mid-City, Krewe of Okeanos, Krewe of Thoth, latonola, marching band, mardi gras, new orleans, Nola Bombshells, parade, Pussyfooters, tandem floats, throws
Krewes of Hermes & d’Etat Parades 2020
The Mystic Krewe of Hermes is the oldest of 3 parades that roll Friday night. Because of weather rescheduling, we’d already watched 2 parades – Muses and Babylon – without bands and dancing groups to keep things moving quickly. Though we have 5-parade days on weekends, we don’t normally start have to start them after school lets out. Hermes blanketed the crowd in blinkies, including their popular glowing wing headpieces. My favorite moment was when Saints legend Steve Gleason rolled past covered in glow tubes – but he was too quick for my camera.
The riders of Le Krewe d’Etat threw a satirical spotlight on everything from Jeffrey Epstein to A.O.C. Continue reading →
Filed under Carnival, Culture, decorations and costumes, free events and lagniappe, Mardi Gras 2020, parade, Uncategorized
Tagged as 610 stompers, beads, carnival, d'etat, floats, Hermes, krewe, Krewe D'Etat, Krewe of Hermes, latonola, marching band, mardi gras, new orleans, parade, Pussyfooters, satirical parade, Sirens, st. charles, Steve Gleason, throws
Krewes of Druids and Nyx Parades 2020
Wednesday starts 7 straight days of parades ending with Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras). Things used to get off to a quiet start with just the Krewe of Ancient Druids rolling, and mostly locals sparsely dotting St. Charles. Once the all-female Super Krewe of Nyx joined the lineup in 2012, the crowds have gotten thicker by the year. Whereas Druids is a smaller krewe with less than 200 members, the Krewe of Nyx boasts thousands of members in over 40 floats – all with treasured hand-made glittery purses to give to a lucky few along with the tons of beads and female-friendly throws. Continue reading →
Filed under Carnival, Culture, decorations and costumes, free events and lagniappe, Mardi Gras 2020, parade
Tagged as 610 stompers, beads, carnival, drew brees, floats, krewe, Krewe of Ancient Druids, Krewe of Druids, Krewe of Nyx, latonola, marching band, mardi gras, Muff-A-Lottas, new orleans, parade, parade death, Pussyfooters, Saints, Sirens, st. charles, throws
Krewe of Carrollton Parade with the Pussyfooters
Krewe of Carrollton is the 4th oldest Carnival parading organization after the Krewes of Rex, Proteus, and Zulu. This is my 8th year dancing with the Pussyfooters, but only my 2nd year parading with the festive men of Carrollton. Thanks to this blog, I always walk around as the floats line up. Bands, walking krewes and dancers wait to join the procession when the parade rolls, and I enjoy the behind-the-scenes glimpses into the different groups and their subcultures. Continue reading →
Filed under Carnival, Culture, decorations and costumes, free events and lagniappe, Mardi Gras 2020, parade, Uncategorized
Tagged as 610 stompers, beads, Carmelettes, carnival, Carrollton, floats, high school, how to catch throws, krewe, Krewe of Carrollton, Krewe of King Arthur, latonola, Mande Milkshakers, marching band, mardi gras, Mount Carmel Carmelettes, Mt. Carmel, new orleans, parade, Pussyfooters, Saint Paul's School, st. charles, throws
Krewe of Boo 2019
Krewe of Boo 2019 almost didn’t happen, cancelled midday because of the recent building collapse downtown and a planned demolition attempt. But “Chief Spookster” Brian Kern’s annual Halloween parade rolled as scheduled on a gorgeous 75 degree Saturday evening through thick crowds with many wearing costumes. Continue reading →
Filed under Culture, decorations and costumes, free events and lagniappe, parade
Tagged as 610 stompers, Brian Kern, candy corn, candy corn costume, floats, french quarter, Halloween, Halloween costume, krewe, Krewe des Fleurs, Krewe of Boo, Krewe of Rolling Elvi, latonola, marching band, new orleans, parade, Pussyfooters, Rolling Elvi, Tap Dat