Archive for February, 2017

Lundi Gras Photo Essay!

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I take a fair amount of photos for my blog, almost 100% are with my smart phone. These mostly were taken the last weekend of the 2017 Carnival season.

 

Hermes 2017 Light Ups

 

Mid City’s Foil Floats

 

Krewe of Iris House Banner

 

Lit Up Endymion Beads

 

Dance Troupe

Endymion Cups 2017

 

Muses 2017

 

Chaos Cards

 

Babylon Light Ups

Babylon, Chaos and Muses Roll Down St. Charles Avenue to Large, Happy Crowds!

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The Knights of Babylon ran last night, a beautiful evening for Carnival 2017 parading. Babylon was originally called the Jesters Club. St. Charles was packed with parade goers, of all shapes, ages and sizes. We had moved our location from Harmony Street to St. Andrews St, Neutral ground side. Babylon’s theme for 2017 was The Lure and Legends of Gold. Babylon started in 1939, so they are among the top 5 oldest New Orleans krewes. That’s tradition. As they were rolling down St. Charles, I could tell they weren’t all old men, but a cross section of ages. Their floats are of traditional size.

Babylon had a bunch of light up throws, including a light up streetcar light up medallion, a purple bearded man light up bead, and a plastic fake wrist band that states on the plastic dial,  Carnival Begins When Babylon Rolls.

                                                                               Light Up Babylon Throws

 

Babylon Light Ups

 

 

 

 

 

 

Light Up Babylon Beads

 

                                               Babylon Light Ups

 

 

All three parades occupy different niches in the Mardi Gras Orleans Parish Parade hierarchy. Babylon is from the old guard. Chaos is a combination of the new and the old, a unique niche, and Muses are the founders of the women’s super krewe niche that now has other players including NYX.

 

Chaos Lampooning Our Saints

While Babylon is an old fashioned parade, Chaos is even more old fashioned. They ride on wooden wagon wheels, like REX and Proteus (see photo). That’s because Chaos membership is comprised of former Knights of Momus members. Comus and Momus stopped parading decades ago when the political climate for closed all white men’s clubs went south. The Chaos float den is the former Momus den. They threw float specific cards, doubloons, light up swords and other mostly traditional throws.

Muses is one of Carnival’s largest parades with well over 1,000 krewe members. They are named after the Muses in mythology. They have changed Mardi Gras for the good with their too many to mention sexy, ribalt dancing groups; they broke a Carnival glass ceiling as the first true all women Super Krewe; and their hand decorated Muses shoes have quickly become a key Mardi Gras signature throw.

Muses were founded in 2000 by Staci Rosenberg, and first paraded during Mardi Gras in 2001. Every year, Muses produces an awesome variety of logoed throws. The krewe is very limited in what else they can purchase outside the krewe and without the Muses logo.

Muses Shoe

 

Muses Horton

Muses 2017

 

Final Big Weekend of Mardi Gras 2017 Approaches!

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We’re in the lull now, the two days before the 5 days of all out parades, parties and Carnival revelry. Had a great time at the parades this past weekend, and caught some cool throws. 

   Thongs Throw! Weird Throw!

 

 

2nd Weirdest Throw Caught this Weekend

 

Parades start again tomorrow with Druids and NYX. NYX has worked hard to establish their own icon throw, similar to the Krewe of Muses Shoe and the Zulu Coconut. The NYX Purse is a hand decorated purse or small hand bag. Their krewe has grown substantially the last few year as their parade presence has grown. Looking forward to their parade tomorrow night.

NYX Purse

 

Working on my purple, green and gold costume for Fat Tuesday. Always celebrate Fat Tuesday in the official colors of Mardi Gras. Though Blaine Kern Artists remain the largest of the float builders, Royal Artists is my personal favorite. I catch Zulu on Jackson Avenue, then head to Harmony and St. Charles for REX. After REX I follow the truck parades downtown, and meet my girlfriend Sue Repasky. We ate at Mandina’s later that afternoon, and it was very good.

I’ve been in New Orleans for a long time, now, and I’m excited about Mardi Gras like I was brand new to it. There is something about the combination of bands, floats, crowds, ambiance, friends, family, and tradition that makes me very happy.Happy Mardi Gras!

NOPD and Mardi Gras!!

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The men and women in blue, our own New Orleans Police Department, aka NOPD, are the coolest cats on the parade route. Virtually nothing nonplusses them. They have seen it all on St. Charles Avenue during Carnival literally. They almost always have time to answer a question from a tourist or local. Most often they have smiles on their faces, except when something goes awry on the parade route and they must intercede.

Police in New Orleans are in what’s called Mardi Gras mode. No days off until the day after Fat Tuesday, and all shifts are 12 hours. That is a stressful combination. Other police forces in the metro area are coming to help out. State police, Probation and Parole, Kenner, St John the Baptist, St Bernard and Jefferson parish police on the way. That’s a lot of police.

 

 

I like to wish the police a good day or night on the parade route, as I have a high regard as a general rule for NOPD during Carnival. They are working while we are playing, and on really beautiful days like today, that’s not so easy. One thing about New Orleanians during Mardi Gras, they like to drink a beer or a cocktail while socializing out on the parade route.

Other situations can develop quickly during Carnival- float breakdowns are a possibility. People joining the parade ad hoc for the sheer fun of it (that’s not allowed). People getting run over by a float or kicked by a horse (these are fairly rare occurrences).

There is a Mardi Gras fugitive roundup going on, just this weekend 34 people were arrested for 54 offenses.

 

NOPD 2

Those little black squares on their chests in both pictures are the cameras that record everything that goes down. That’s a good thing. Of course, the cameras can be turned off, and don’t always work.

Cops and revelers mix it up with happy result during Mardi Gras 2003. Happy Mardi Gras!!

 

Mardi Gras 2917 Parade Schedule!

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2017 Mardi Gras Parade Schedule

 

Friday, January 6, 2017
Joan of Arc 7:00 p.m. French Quarter Walking Parade
Phunny Phorty Phellows 7:00 p.m. Uptown Streetcar Ride
Société Du Champs Elysée 7:30 p.m. French Quarter Streetcar Ride
Saturday, January 7, 2017
St. John’s Fool of Misrule 6:00 p.m. Covington Walking Parade
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Poseidon 1:00 p.m. Slidell
Krewe du Vieux 6:30 p.m. French Quarter Mature Themed
Krewe Delusion Follows French Quarter Walking Parade
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Little Rascals Noon Metairie
Slidellians 1:00 p.m. Slidell
Perseus 2:00 p.m. Slidell
Friday, February 17, 2017
Krewe of Cork 3:00 p.m. French Quarter Walking Parade
Oshun 6:00 p.m. Uptown
Cleopatra 6:30 p.m. Uptown
Eve 7:00 p.m. Mandeville
Excalibur 7:00 p.m. Metairie
Atlas 7:30 p.m. Metairie
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Adonis 11:45 a.m. Westbank
Nemesis 1:00 p.m. St. Bernard
Pontchartrain 1:00 p.m. Uptown
Choctaw 2:00 p.m. Uptown
Freret 3:00 p.m. Uptown
Sparta 6:00 p.m. Uptown
Pygmallion 6:45 p.m. Uptown
Caesar 6:00 p.m. Metairie
‘tit Rex 5:00 p.m. Marigny Walking Parade
Olympia 6:00 p.m. Covington
Chewbacchus 7:00 p.m. Marigny Walking Parade
Titans 6:30 p.m. Slidell
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Carrollton Noon Uptown
King Arthur Follows Uptown
Alla Follows Uptown
Dionysus 1:00 p.m. Slidell
Barkus 2:00 p.m. French Quarter Dog Walking Parade
Tchefuncte 2:00 p.m. Madisonville
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Druids 6:15 p.m. Uptown
Nyx 6:45 p.m. Uptown
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Knights of Babylon 5:40 p.m. Uptown
Chaos 6:15 p.m. Uptown
Muses 6:30 p.m. Uptown
Friday, February 24, 2017
Orpheus 6:00 p.m. Mandeville
Hermes 6:00 p.m. Uptown
Le Krewe D’etat 6:30 p.m. Uptown
Selene 6:30 p.m. Slidell
Morpheus 7:00 p.m. Uptown
Centurions 7:00 p.m. Metairie
Saturday, February 25, 2017
NOMTOC 10:45 a.m. Westbank
Iris 11:00 a.m. Uptown
Tucks Noon Uptown
Endymion 4:15 p.m. Mid-City Superkrewe
Isis 6:30 p.m. Metairie
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Okeanos 11:00 a.m. Uptown
Mid-City 11:45 a.m. Uptown
Thoth Noon Uptown
Napoleon 5:00 p.m. Metairie
Bacchus 5:15 p.m. Uptown Superkrewe
Monday, February 27, 2017
Proteus 5:15 p.m. Uptown
Orpheus 6:00 p.m. Uptown Superkrewe
Cleopatra 6:30 p.m. Houma
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Zulu 8:00 a.m. Uptown Throw Zulu Coconuts
Rex 10:00 a.m. Uptown King of Carnival
Elks Orleanians Follows Uptown Truck Parade
Crescent City Follows Uptown Truck Parade
Argus 10:00 a.m. Metairie
Krewe of Elks Jefferson Follows Metairie Truck Parade
Krewe of Jefferson Follows Metairie Truck Parade
Lyra 10:00 a.m. Covington

 

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