Krewes of Femme Fatale & Carrolton

It was sunny and in the upper 70’s for Sundays parades. Another perfect day for parades – 4 of them! Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale debuted in 2015. Founded entirely by African-American women, membership is open to women of all colors and creeds and the signature throw, a mirrored compact, symbolizes both inward and outward reflection. My fellow Pussyfooters were included in the lineup so I wore my Pussyfooters t-shirt in celebration. Other adult parade groups were the Original Treme Baby Dolls, Skinz N Bonez, fabulous divas on Batman-like motorcycles, goddess warriors called The Amazons and the Black Storyville Baby Dolls. Though the Pussyfooters were the first adult dance krewe of the modern era, they drew their inspiration from the original Baby Dolls who paraded at the turn of the century so it was wonderful to see 2 Baby Doll krewes in the mix.

Krewe of Endymion

Founded in 1966, Krewe of Endymion is a Super Krewe featuring over 3,000 riders and a 9 car, 365 foot long megafloat. Many of the vibrant floats are covered in thousands of lights – it’s Vegas on wheels. Jerry Springer made a return visit as Grand Marshal. His first ride was in 1998. It was chilly and windy but was a grand show worth shivering for. The royalty are particularly beautiful, so covered in bling and plumes they have to be held up by a chain from above. 

Krewes of Druid & Nyx

Krewe of Druids, founded in 1998, honors the Celtic priests who acted as mediators between people and their gods and nature. The krewe is fairly small and cloaked in secrecy. The first float didn’t pass us until almost 8pm. Kids have school, their parents have work but there were still plenty of families on the route giving it the miles-long-block-party feel I like. By tonight when I dance with the Pussyfooters in Krewe of Muses, the crowds will be thick with out-of-towners. Druids highlights included the Organ Grinders, the Amelia Earhawts and Sophie B. Wright’s marching band.

Endymion at Gallier Hall

This was my second year watching the Krewe of Endymion parade from the bleachers, this time – right in front of stately Gallier Hall with each float and band putting on a show for the Mayor. I was privy to all the pomp and ritual – the toasts with royalty and the smashing of champagne glasses. (I got to relive the moment standing next to Quentin Tarantino days later on his Orpheus float as he received his Key to the City, made his speech and smashed his glass).

Parades! Oshun and Cleopatra

The official Carnival parades kicked off with the Krewes of Oshun and Cleopatra on Friday night.  Oshun, named for the African goddess of fountains, love, wealth and religion, features peacock symbology and finely feathered royalty including Christopher Brown as King Shango, Queen Laquina Ladmirault Brown, Grand Marshall WDSU’s Damon Singleton and Ms. Black Lousiana, Chelsea Smith. Established in 1996, this year’s theme was “Night Out in the Big City.” My favorite float had to be the Saints Superfans float. Superfan Larry Jehle Jr. AKA “Saints Fett” passed last week after battling leukemia and, though he only ever got to attend one game inside the Dome, even Drew Brees mourns his loss.

Revolution Second Line, Class Got Brass and More!

This past weekend has become one of the more jam-packed of the year including events like Hogs for the Cause, the Revolution Second Line, the Congo Square Rhythms Festival and the Class Got Brass competition. Hogs for the Cause has moved it’s rather large festival to City Park, but weddings and birthdays kept us from the festivities benefitting families facing  pediatric brain cancer. But we did manage to hit all the Armstrong Park-centered events. The annual Revolution Social Aid & Pleasure Club Second Line starts at Armstrong and winds its way through city streets gathering paraders as it goes.

Krewe of Bacchus 2012

This year’s Krewe of Bacchus parade was another fun-fest, led this time by Will Ferrell. To read more of the traditions and history of the Krewe and it’s founding family, the Brennens, read last year’s post. The theme was the Louisiana Bicentennial and featured  a near-non-stop procession of amazing marching bands including

Krewe of Jingle Parade

This weekend was the 4th annual Krewe of Jingle Parade on Canal Street. The Downtown Development District created Canal Street: Home for the Holidays to draw shoppers and families looking for holiday activities. They wisely scheduled the parade to finish before the LSU game and many in the crowd were sporting their purple and gold as they waited for the Mr. Bingle float to open the festivities.

3 Easter Parades, Hornets Win! and Treme Begins

Easter started with fireworks exploding over the Mississippi Saturday night around 11 pm for no reason we could find. Sunday morning, walking to the Camellia Grill for breakfast, The Historic French Quarter Easter Parade rolled by. Established by Count Arnaud’s daughter (of Arnaud’s Restaurant, est. 1918), the parade was mostly carriages of elegant older women in fabulous hats. They parade Jackson Square before attending mass at the Cathedral and returning to Arnaud’s for lunch.

Krewe of Bacchus

The Krewe of Bacchus rolls one of the most popular parades of the season. It usually ends the 4 parade Sunday marathon, the giant splash at the end of a fireworks display, but because Endymion was cancelled the day before, we would still have another super-krewe after the 3 hour-ish Bacchus parade. A super-krewe is usually defined as having celebrity marshals and tandem floats as long as skyscrapers lying down.