‘tit Rex Parade & WGNO’s Post-Oscar Show

The ‘tit Rex parade is a miniature-float satirical spectacle of big creativity in tiny form. I would be appearing on WGNO’s post-Oscar News With A Twist so we needed to head to the pre-parade lineup and skip the glacially-paced dragging of the delicate floats with frequent stops to pose for photos and closer looks. A reaction to super Krewe parades, ‘tit Rex was inspired by the local tradition of kids decorating shoeboxes and parading them through school, so the creations are nostalgic for many.

A crowd of Barbie and her crawfish-eating, Hand-Grenade-drinking friends in waited for the floats – their arms outstretched over NOPD barriers, their kids sitting atop ladder chairs.

Krewe of Tucks Parade

Krewe of Tucks was named for a bar that doesn’t exist anymore and features a giant toilet float. Throws include rolls of toilet paper that stream through the live oaks lining the route as well a toilet plungers and specially decorated toilet brushes done by the special needs adults at Magnolia Community Services.

The vibrant parade features neon foam monsters, the beaded corsets of Dames du Perlage, the Star Wars-themed 501st Legion and Ducks of Dixieland. Kolossos (animal bikes) and the elephant-themed Great Tuskers rolled the route along with crowd-favorite lounge-chair-riding Laissez Boys. 

Greasing of the Poles

For over 3 years, this blog has mostly been a long love letter to New Orleans as I move from longtime visitor to citizen of the Who Dat Nation and part of the gumbo of this city. I’ve attended concerts, parades, festivals and more and shared the events with you readers. But when I participated in the Royal Sonesta‘s 43rd annual Greasing of the Poles, like Alice Through the Looking Glass, I stepped into the story.  In order to keep revelers off the balcony during Mardi Gras, the Sonesta greases the poles on Bourbon Street with a celebrity-studded event and contest with fans spanning from locals on balconies dressed in wigs and costumes to the Greasing of the Poles Fan Club from Germany.