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.

House Floats – Garden District

In the search for fabulous and festive house floats, I’ve already covered Magazine Street, the Irish Channel, Mid-City and the Lower Garden District. New Orleans has been celebrating Mardi Gras in a safe, socially distanced way with City Park’s drive-thru Floats in the Oaks stationary parade and “Yardi Gras,” 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 as house floats, or go DIY, then register on their map. The effect is the city basically looks like a drive-thru parade.

New Orleans and Corona Virus

I miss New Orleans. I walk St. Charles and miss parades. The St. Patrick’s parade was cancelled well before the stay-at-home came. Then my favorite day of the year was cancelled, Super Sunday when the Mardi Gras Indians parade Central City in elaborately beaded and feathered suits they spent a year (and thousands) sewing. As the virus spread across the country and ravaged our state, in the city we retreated to our homes and looked for tips on finding toilet paper.

Krewes of Muses and Babylon 2020

High wind gusts prevented Thursday’s parades from rolling, pushing 2 to Friday and one to Sunday’s schedule. With the addition of the Krewes of Muses and Babylon to Friday’s lineup, a 3-parade night became 5-parade marathon. Muses and Babylon rolled mostly without bands and dance groups to keep things moving quickly.

I was supposed to parade in the Muses 20-year anniversary parade with the pretty-in-pink Pussyfooters,

Krewes of Babylon and Muses Parades 2019

Because I dance with the Pussyfooters, I haven’t attended the Krewes of Babylon and Muses parades since 2013. Though I was fairly devastated to be too under the weather for hours of dancing, it was kinda wonderful to experience the Thursday parades as a spectator. The rain chased the start time forward and back, finally pushing the Krewe of Chaos out of the evening entirely. Hopes are that they will roll Monday instead. Babylon was beautiful and it was great touching base with meteorologist Margaret Orr as she drove past.

Krewe of Carrollton

Though this is my 7th year dancing with the Pussyfooters in parades, it’s my first time being a part of the Krewe of Carrollton’s festivities. The weather was perfect for my nearly 25,000 steps – 65, sunny and breezy. Parading is my favorite way to see the city. We take over a neighborhood to line up hours in advance. School bands fill side streets practicing songs, formations and showy moves. We hang out with Rolling Elvi, 610 Stompers, Disco Amigos and more – visiting and hydrating…

Krewes of Muses & Iris Parades

No time to blog this year but wanted to share photos of the fun at the Krewes of Muses and Iris parades. I always love dancing with my Pussyfooter sisters in Muses. Both the parade and our group – the first modern-day adult parade dance troupe, debuted together in 2001. Photos include Krewe des Fleurs, Krewe of the Rolling Elvi, the NOLA Cherry Bombs, Fat City Drum Corps, the Amelia Earhawts and much more! 

Mardi Gras 2017 Wrap-Up

We’ve heard it a lot in the last few days – this was the best Carnival (Mardi Gras season) in years. In fairness, a lot of it had to do with the extraordinarily wonderful weather. After the 50 degree rain-soaked Krewe of Cleopatra parade,  most days were 70-80 and sunny with breezes. This year, I danced in 3 parades with the Pussyfooters. We were excited to debut our super-hero-inspired capes and signature pink corsets at the Cleopatra parade but mostly ended up covered in dripping-wet plastic sacks. That said, the crowds kept us inspired. Carnival parades are like a perpetual motion machine. The paraders bring energy to the crowds and the crowds bring energy to the paraders.

Though routines are set, each year I get to do new things at Mardi Gras and have new experiences.

Krewe of Muses – Behind the Scenes

I love attending parades and the Krewe of Muses all-female Super Krewe of 1000 riders is a crowd favorite. When you participate in a parade, the one downside is that you don’t actually get to attend the parade. With the addition of the new train of duck floats being pulled by the traditional giant bubble bath and the opportunity to catch one of their coveted hand-decorated shoes, it was a lot to give up. That said, I love dancing with the Pussyfooters in Muses. A group of over 120 women-over-30, the Pussyfooters raise tens of thousands annually for domestic violence victims, provide entertainment and assistance at non-profit events and, of course, perform in parades year-round. The Pussyfooters debuted in the 2001 Krewe of Muses parade so I consider it an honor to join them rather than hope for a (super-awesome) glittery shoe. 

Krewes of Druids and Nyx Parades

Everywhere else, it was just Wednesday but here in New Orleans, Krewe of Druids kicked off a 2 parade night that rolled its way toward midnight. Founded in 1998, the “Merlin”-hat-wearing Druids honor the Celtic priests who acted as mediators between the people and their gods and nature. Their krewe never has more than 200 members and secrecy shrouds their membership. In near direct opposition, the Krewe of Nyx is a diverse all-female Super Krewe of more than 2,200 riders. The last float in Druids was South-Park-inspired with a sign picking on Nyx, “Seriously… The parade behind us is not worth the wait!” Except, of course, it totally was. Though by 10:30pm there was some nostalgia for the Wednesdays of yore when people could get home to watch a favorite show or finish homework before turning in, Nyx puts on a heck of a parade.