News and information from the New Orleans area
Posts tagged Mardi Gras
The Kerns Kiss and Make Up in Civil District Court!!
09 years
The first family of Mardi Gras, the people responsible for building REX, Bacchus, Endymion, Orpheus, Caesar, Zulu and many more Mardi Gras parades, have ended their family feud. When you sue your octogenarian father, you create a rift that’s hard to close, but apparently the Kern family have overcome their differences.
REX Boeuf Gras Float built by Kern Artists
Blaine Kern Artists Created the Bacchagator
We are all happy to have it behind us and just kind of move forward and do what we do best, and that’s build floats and create Mardi Gras, Barry Kern said. Blaine Kern, Sr, the patriarch of the Kern clan, agreed to a corporate succession plan with his son of Blaine Kern Artists Inc at New Orleans Civil District Court last week. The senior Kern sold his 50.1 percent in the company to his son Barry. Blaine received a lifetime consulting contract with the firm.
Where is Blaine Kern, Jr? Blaine’s other son is no where to be found in this story. After meeting with the judge, Barry and Blaine, along with their wives and Barry’s sons Fitz and Andrew, all went out to lunch together. No sign of Blaine, Jr. or his family. Hmmm….
I’m elated this half a decade old sad story has a happy ending. The patriarch is satisfied as he got paid by his son for his company so he can ‘retire’ in comfort. He’s 88, and mostly wants to spend time with his wife Holly and burnish his Mr. Mardi Gras brand.
Barry and Blaine Kern, Sr. with Joe Jaeger
I’ve also said before, the reason this whole court debacle occurred is because Pixie Naquin isn’t there to smooth over the hurt feelings for the sake of family unity. She was the founder’s executive secretary almost since he started out in business, and she never let past serious family disputes end up on court. She was the cat’s meow for Kern Enterprises, there’s absolutely no doubt about that.
RIP Pixie Naquin!
Judge Kern Reese’s consent judgement accomplishes several things- the court retains jurisdiction for two years over any future problems, all lawsuits filed by both parties are dismissed, and Reese’s 2012 injunction giving Barry Kern control of the company is terminated.
Mardi Gras Beads As A New Orleans Pot Hole Solution!
010 years
Mardi Gras Beads Filing New Orleans Pot Holes!
Beads as Pot Hole Solution
Beads as a Pot Hole Solution
New Orleanians are a very creative lot. Most us have a bag of two of Mardi Gras beads in the closet or attic. Once beads are exposed to the weather for a while, the paint wears off but the beads endure for a long time. Since Hurricane Katrina, the city has had FEMA money to fix a lot of major and minor city streams but so many more haven’t been fixed and are one of the banes of our existence in any older city in America. Combining beads and pot holes makes perfect sense to me. It’s a very quick and somewhat lasting solution.
Mobile, AL Political Cartoon
Political Cartoon from al.com
Mardi Gras Around the World Series- German Mardi Gras!!
010 years
by NewOrleansMusicMan
in Mardi Gras
Fasching Parade
Nubbel Men
Carnival or Mardi Gras goes by many names in Germany, depending on the region and dialect. Whether you call it Fastnacht, Fasching or Karneval, it is a time for revelry, humor, and satire. They are all one and the same thing: pre-Lenten festivities celebrated in grand style in mostly the predominantly catholic regions of the German-speaking countries. The Rhineland has its Karneval; Austria, Bavaria and Berlin calls theirs Fasching; and the German Swiss celebrate Fastnacht.
Fasching, also nicknamed fünfte Jahreszeit or närrische Saison by Germans, officially begins in most regions in Germany on the eleventh of November at 11:11 am or the day after Dreikönigstag, so on January 7th. The big bash celebrations are however not on the same given date each year, instead the date varies depending on when Easter is held. Fasching culminates into Fasching week which begins the week before Ash Wednesday.
- Weiberfastnacht – Thursday before Ash Wednesday. This is mainly an event held in the Rhineland. The day begins with women storming into and symbolically taking over city hall. Then, women throughout the day will snip off men’s ties and kiss any man that passes their way. The day ends with people going to local venues and bars in costume.
- Parties, Celebrations and Parades – People will celebrate in costume at various carnival community events and individual parties. Carnival parades abound, it is literally the weekend for people to live it up.
- Rosenmontag – The largest and most popular carnival parades take place on the Monday before Ash Wednesday. These parades come mostly from the Rhineland region. People throughout the German-speaking countries will tune in to watch the biggest German carnival parade of all which is held in Cologne.
- Fastnachtsdienstag – Besides some parades which are held on this day, you have the burial or burning of the Nubbel. A Nubbel is a life-size doll made of straw that embodies all of the sins committed during carnival season. It is buried or burned with great ceremony on Tuesday evening before everyone parties one more time till Ash Wednesday arrives.
Strassenfest Costumers
Fasching or Karnival celebrations stem from various beliefs and needs. For catholics, it provided a festive season of food and fun before the Lenten fasting period would begin. During the late medieval times, plays were performed during the Lenten period called Fastnachtspiele.In pre-Christian times, carnival celebrations symbolized the driving out of winter and all of its evil spirits. Hence the masks to scare away these spirits. The carnival celebrations in southern Germany and Switzerland reflect these traditions.Further, we have carnival traditions that can be traced back to historical events. After the French Revolution, the French took over Rhineland. Out of protest against French oppression, Germans from Cologne and surrounding areas would mock their politicians and leaders safely behind masks during carnival season. Even today, caricatures of politicians and other personalities can be seen boldly portrayed on floats in the parades.
Helau and Alaaf are carnival cries to state either the beginning of a carnival event or greetings declared among carnival participants.
Tucks Can Keep Throwing Toilet Paper!!
010 years
New Mardi Gras rules were passed by our esteemed New Orleans city council this week. Among the highlights- no more generators on truck floats, instead power inverters that run off the engine are required. No children under the age of 3 can ride on a float. Tougher fire codes were enacted for flambeaux and floats. A limit on the number of parade permits was instituted. No more than 30 permits can be issued annually, though if you have a permit now, you can keep it. 33 organizations have permits at this time. Attrition will eventually lower the number of permits to 30.
Krewe of Tucks Toilet Paper
But the most important regulation allows Tucks to continue to throw their beloved icon throw, Tucks Bathroom Tissue!! Councilwomen LaToya Cantrell said it wasn’t really a safety issue. When these rules were first proposed, Tucks paper was tossed. Eventually after a strong outcry, Cantrell changed her mind and removed the ban from the bill. Good for her, she knows what’s important to the people of New Orleans.
Tucks Tissue Paper
This is the second package of Carnival rules pushed through by the council this year. The last bill contained updated regulations about throwbacks, ladders and sectioning off space on the neutral ground. Cantrell said she is working on an additional measure, one ending the practice of throwing packs/bags of beads and very heavy beads. Many float riders hand these off, but that’s not always possible, especially for 2nd story riders on double decker floats.
The Kabosh is in for West Bank Krewes!!!
111 years
I-10 W West Bank Sign
Talk about falling on your sword! The second oldest krewe in Jefferson Parish and the only krewe left on the West Bank are about to fall off the cliff. Both have received revocation orders from Sean Burke, Parish Community Affairs Director. I’ve written before about the suicide march Jefferson krewes are on.
Adonis and Zeus are the offending krewes. Both krewes are accused of not meeting the minimum parade standards the parish put in place in past years. The key provision not met? Not enough riders.
In 2009, fourteen krewes held Mardi Gras parades in Jefferson Parish on the East and West Banks. 3 of 4 West Bank krewes have moved onto St. Charles Avenue uptown- Alla, Choctawand Cleopatra. The east bank krewes haven’t moved, though Rhea dropped out after their bingo revenue took a steep dive and they had trouble paying their bills.
If Adonis and Zeus are forced to drop out, Jefferson Parish would have 9 krewes left, all on the east bank. It amazes me that all the parades on the West Bank are disappearing. 9 isn’t a firm total by any means. Thor and Atlas, two established krewes, didn’t parade in 2014. The Guardians of Atlantis, a new krewe, was scheduled to run in 2014 but canceled out last summer.
Zeus’ 2014 parade only had 2 bands, 3 short of the minimum set by the ordinance. They also were short a couple of floats. Each infraction can result in permit revocation. I’m sure the offending krewes will appeal. Zeus is another old krewe, they started in 1957.
This is the end of an era, and it doesn’t portend well for Mardi Gras in New Orleans overall. The West Bank has a proud tradition of parading going back decades and decades. Alla, Jefferson’s oldest krewe, started in 1932, grew from a neighborhood parade into a super krewe, the brainchild of Blaine Kern Sr. It disturbs me West Bank parades are gone, I believe the entire process was very shortsighted. The West Bank deserves a robust parade schedule. What are all those West Bankers to do for Carnival parades in 2015?