Mardi Gras Day by Day

Mardi Gras Day by Day

Mardi Gras Weekend

Although changes sometimes occur, the following parades are staples of Mardi Gras weekend.

Friday

Hermes, one of the oldest parading krewes, rolls first, in the early evening (usually around 6). They're followed by Krewe d'Etat, a relatively young krewe formed by local business leaders with a taste for satire. The Krewe d'Etat has a Dictator in place of the usual King and a Revolution instead of a ball (the sort of revolution that is by invitation only). The krewe prides itself on new and imaginative throws, such as a small stuffed jester that changes outfits annually and, when squeezed, drops such pearls of wisdom as "Live to ride—ride to live!," "Hail to the Dictator!," and "Krewe d'Etat rules!"

Saturday

Saturday spotlights the largest women's krewe, Iris, which was formed in 1922 and began parading in 1959. Ordinarily pristine members of Uptown garden clubs let loose from behind their long masks and white gloves, flirting with the men along the route and tossing flowers to young hunks. Iris starts at 11, and is immediately followed by Tucks, a young, fun parade founded some 38 years ago by Loyola students who would tour through a few Uptown streets on the way to their favorite bar, Friar Tucks. The theme is always tongue-in-cheek, and the throws are beautifully coordinated with the decor of the individual floats. A Friar Tuck doll is a must-catch from this parade.

Following Tucks, a several-hour break occurs before Endymion, one of the blockbuster parades of the season. Since 2006, Endymion has rolled down the St. Charles Avenue route instead of its traditional Mid-City route. Depending on city resources, it may return in 2008. It is notorious for delays; in spite of an afternoon starting time, it regularly reaches Canal Street late in the evening. Endymion finishes by rolling straight into the Superdome for the Extravaganza, a party attended by upwards of 14,000 people. The lineup for 2007 included performers Styx, Al Green, and Journey. The King was "American Idol's" Taylor Hicks.

Sunday

Thoth is a daytime parade with a heartwarming peculiarity: it has designed an anomalous route that passes numerous nursing homes and hospitals, including Children's Hospital, at Tchoupitoulas and Henry Clay Avenue, by Audubon Park. The only Mardi Gras parade to follow Magazine Street, it eventually turns onto Napoleon Avenue and rejoins the usual St. Charles-Canal route. The other daytime Sunday parades are Okeanos and Mid-City, named for the neighborhood it originally rolled through.

One of the great Mardi Gras parades, Bacchus takes the St. Charles-Canal route Sunday night. The floats are spectacular, including some regular favorites like the endless Bacchagator and the mammoth King Kong, and some new floats each year. The Budweiser Clydesdales are another crowd-pleaser. The monarch is always a major celebrity, such as The Sopranos' actor James Gandolfini in 2007. The marching bands are at their horn-swinging best for Bacchus, and the throws pour plentifully from the floats.

Monday

There are no day parades Monday, but Lundi Gras, or the Monday before Mardi Gras, has become a major event downtown, especially at Spanish Plaza by the Riverwalk. Zulu, then Rex arrive by boat along the Mississippi and formally greet one another and their subjects at the Spanish Plaza dock. A large stage at Spanish Plaza hosts live music throughout the day. Monday night brings one of the oldest krewes and one of the youngest end to end. Proteus, formed in 1882, pays tribute to the sea god with beautiful floats in the old wagon style. Orpheus, meanwhile, always has the latest in parade technology, such as confetti blowers and automatic plastic-cup dispensers. The krewe is Harry Connick Jr.'s project, and the charming crooner's own float is one of the highlights.

Mardi Gras Day

On Mardi Gras day it seems that every street in the city sees a piece of a procession at one point or another. One of the following krewes is sure to meet your styles and tastes.

Early on Mardi Gras morning, you can catch Zulu, the oldest African-American parade. If you are not prepared, the black-faced riders, some of them in mock African dress, can seem in shockingly bad taste, but these parodies of minstrelsy are the long-standing traditions of the krewe. Zulu rolls down Jackson Avenue, turning onto St. Charles ahead of Rex, and reaches Canal Street around 11 AM, though in keeping with their mischievous customs, this timing can vary dramatically. Rex, traditionally regarded as king of Carnival, greets his subjects following Zulu. His floats are intricate, old-fashioned affairs, one of the visual high points of Mardi Gras day. Behind Rex are the truck parades: more than 200 flatbed trucks, each rented and decorated by an independent group, carrying some 7,000 riders in all. The trucks roll one after another for hours, without bands or walking groups between them.

Mardi Gras day also brings the appearances of the Mardi Gras Indians and the walking clubs. The walking clubs zigzag all over town, stopping in bars and swapping paper flowers and beads for kisses. One of the more regular clubs, the Krewe of St. Ann, is named after the main gay strip of the French Quarter, where the parade winds up. The parade begins in the Bywater District and works its way through Faubourg Marigny before entering the Quarter. This is your best chance to see the Mardi Gras strutting of some of the city's most elaborately designed costumes.

Predating most of the major parades, the Mardi Gras Indians hold their own rituals in the backstreets on Mardi Gras morning. The Indians are members of African-American organizations who dress in intricately beaded costumes that often take all year to create (traditional Indians do not wear the same suit two years in a row). The Indians parade through backstreets, chanting songs from the Mardi Gras Indian repertory. The Indian tribes fall into two major categories: Uptown and downtown. To seek out the Uptown tribes on Mardi Gras morning, venture into the streets across St. Charles Avenue from the Garden District, between Jackson and Washington avenues. The downtown tribes generally revolve around Tremé. To find them, head away from the French Quarter on Ursulines Street.

Must-See Parades

Muses: It's girls gone wild for this all-woman krewe.

Rex: Living up to its name, this truly is the king of parades.

Tucks: Like a rowdy little brother, Tucks is full of bawdy humor and mischief.

Bacchus: Flashy. Be on the lookout for the immense Bacchagator and other oversized floats depicting jungle creatures.

Endymion: Even flashier. Its members are known for generous throws.

Zulu: Unique for its decorated coconut throws.