Krewes of Pontchartrain & Choctaw

It’s Carnival time and the parades are in full swing. It was a balmy beautiful day for the Krewes of Pontchartrain and Choctaw so St. Charles was crowded with families, coolers and ladder chairs. Krewe of Pontchartrain (established 1975 and named for Lake Pontchartrain) is a tractor-drawn parade with an open door policy allowing even tourists to ride with them.  The Big Easy Rollergirls got things “rolling” along with  dance teams including  The Dance Connection, Xtreme Voltage Dance Team, Dance Innovation and the Muff-A-Lottas (all pictured below).

Krewe of Proteus

The Krewe of Proteus was the first parade to roll on the Monday before Fat Tuesday, Lundi Gras. Established in 1882, they are the second oldest parade of the Carnival season (Rex is oldest) and the oldest night parade. The gorgeous floats, designed by The Royal Artists, still sit atop the original 1880’s chassis. Named for the shepherd of the oceans as well as the son of Poseidon, the krewe’s theme this year was “The Prophetic Old-Man-of-the-Sea.” The King remains a secret to all but the 250 male riders on their 20 floats.

Krewe of Tucks

The Krewe of Tucks is without a doubt one of the most “colorful” of the Carnival parades in every sense of the word. Known for its toilet-based humor, Tucks was founded in 1969 by Loyola students in the Friar Tuck bar (from which the krewe derives its name) after they had tried in vain to become White flambeaux carriers. Begun as a small night parade of pick-up trucks, the parade is now a large daytime parade and one of the city’s favorites.

Knights of Chaos

The Knights of Chaos is one of the city’s newer krewes. Founded in 2000, their satirical floats are fashioned by fantastic float makers – Royal Artists. Their name comes from the Greek word meaning, “A great confusion out of which a supreme being created all life.” This year’s theme was, “Chaos Eats Out, No Reservations” and though much of the humor is bawdy, the krewe is very family-centered. 

Knights of Sparta Parade 2011

Saturday night, the elaborately costumed Knights of Sparta krewe, founded in 1951, paraded down St. Charles.  The king’s fancy float is still drawn by mules and is preceded by the traditional flambeaux, people carrying torches to light the way. The tradition of handing the flambeaux pocket change is also still alive. The krewe officers also carry tradition, still riding horses in masks and stunning long capes.