Krewe of Carrollton – Behind the Scenes 2023

Krewe of Carrollton, the 4th oldest Carnival parading organization (after Rex, Proteus, and Zulu), is a traditional parade with big floats and plenty of bands and dance krewes. I couldn’t wait to dance down St. Charles with my Pussyfooters sisters!

The roads were blocked off nearly 2 miles from where we were to line up so I started my day with a solo trek past decorated houses. I did get to walk past the Femme Fatale floats and was particularly impressed with the float topped with a compact featuring an actual mirror.

Krewes of Freret & Themis Parades 2023

Krewe of Freret is one of my favorites of the season. The original Krewe paraded for 40 years until the 90’s. In 2011, some children of the previous membership and others gave the parade a reboot. The addition of Grammy-winner Trombone Shorty’s float with the super-long trombone prop has given the ever-evolving parade new continuity. His cover of Ernie K-Doe’s Here Come the Girls was playing as he rode past, throwing goodies to the crowd.

Satchmo Summerfest 2022

With 2 days of music and food, the French Quarter’s Satchmo Summerfest celebrates New Orleans native, Louis Armstrong’s birthday. The festival started with The Roots Of Music parading to the Old U.S. Mint, home of the New Orleans Jazz Museum where you can find Armstrong’s first coronet. 

The band is a wonderful reminder of the importance of keeping the city’s traditions and culture alive. Grammy Award-winning snare drummer of Rebirth Brass Band, Derrick Tabb, co-founded The Roots Of Music non-profit program providing hundreds of at-risk youths (8-14 years old) with instruments, education, tutoring, meals and a ride home. 

Krewes of Freret & Themis Parades

The Krewe of Freret is fast becoming one of my favorites of the season. The Krewe paraded for 40 years until the 90’s then was reborn in 2011. Some members of the new Krewe are the children of the previous membership. Grammy-nominated Trombone Shorty rode on his Trombone Shorty float with the super-long trombone prop.

The goddess, Themis, represents order and justice and is a perfect match to follow the diversity-and-activism-driven Krewe of Freret. Locals know the story

Satchmo Summerfest 2021

Cancelled last year for the pandemic, Satchmo Summerfest made an abbreviated return with 2 days of music and food celebrating New Orleans native, Louis Armstrong’s birthday. The heat was extraordinary, dangerous even, as The Roots Of Music started things off with a concert outside the Old U.S. Mint, home of the New Orleans Jazz Museum where you can find Armstrong’s first coronet.

Krewe of Freret

The Krewe of Freret paraded for 40 years until the 1990’s then was reborn on the parade route almost a decade ago. Some members of the new Krewe are the children of the previous membership. A highlight in the middle of a 5-parade Saturday, the parade began with young Spidey504’s fancy footwork leading the NOLA Chorus Girls.

Satchmo Summerfest 2019

Satchmo Summerfest celebrates New Orleans native, Louis Armstrong’s birthday with 3 days of music on multiple stages and food booths from local vendors. Always marked by summer heat, the festivals provides shady tents and symposiums on Armstrong and related topics in the air conditioned Old U.S. Mint, home of the New Orleans Jazz Museum where you can find Armstrong’s first coronet.

The Roots of Music kicked things off

St. Patrick’s Parades 2019

The month of Carnival parades just ended on the 5th but we were back in the streets again ALL weekend starting with the Molly’s (Jim Monaghan’s) Irish Parade Friday in the French Quarter. The Pussyfooters were invited to join in the festivities this year and I love any chance to dance. The weather was awful, cold and rainy, but we were grateful for inclusion in the lively second line.

Saturday, we met family at the Irish Channel St. Patrick’s Day Club‘s Irish Channel Parade. The parade features double-decker floats, dancers and bagpipers but the heart of the Irish Channel parade is the many groups of walkers exchanging silk flowers for kisses (mostly on the cheek).

Krewe of Freret Parade 2019

The recently revived Krewe of Freret is a highlight in the middle of a 5 parade Saturday. Part regal and traditional – part whimsical and funky, the parade began with a shout-out to the Who Dat Nation’s recent no-call loss from some of the Saints superfans. Dancing Man 504 and Spidey504 showed off fancy footwork followed by the Bearded Oysters swinging diaphanous pearlized wing-capes. Dancers from NOLA Chorus Girls, Ritmeaux Krewe and Alter Egos brought everything from an ocean of silver-clad women with vintage hair to purple-afro-wearing women putting the fun in funky.

Rebirth at Maple Leaf

There are New Orleans traditions that belong mostly to our visitors (Bourbon Street) and those that belong uniquely to locals, but there are a few traditions we all share. We all eat beignets, we all love Mardi Gras (though often for different reasons) and we all love the Tuesday night tradition of Rebirth Brass Band playing the Maple Leaf. Rebirth is the first brass band to ever win a Grammy. The world has heard them in many soundtracks dating back to Reginald Hudlin’s Boomerang starring Eddie Murphy in 1992. Last years’s hit Girls Trip included the band’s original, Do Watcha Wanna – practically a city anthem.

I’d been to the Maple Leaf in the 90’s during a location scout for a film and not much has changed. The service was fantastic – a winning balance of fast and friendly.