All of the pre-parties, king cake gorging, costume shopping and anticipation has all been leading up to this weekend. The first full weekend of Mardi Gras parades is here! So, accordingly, all of our picks for the weekend in New Orleans are all parades. The parades this weekend are as diverse as they are spectacular, including New Orleans’ only miniature parade, a parade led by dogs, one of the oldest parades of Mardi Gras and a parade dedicated to the culture of wine. It’s officially Carnival time in New Orleans!
Friday, February 10:
A creative use of all those leftover wine corks! (Photo courtesy of www.kreweofcork.com)
1. Krewe of Cork and Oshun – Oenophiles unite at the Krewe of Cork parade this Friday at noon! The parade celebrating wine and winos will involve a lot of consumption of the fermented grape juice as well as costumes made out of corks and grapes. Brass bands will lead the procession winding through the French Quarter. So indulge in their three core values and eat, drink and be merry! The Krewe of Oshun parade, named for the Yoruba goddess of love and intimacy comes at a fitting time a few days before Valentine’s Day. See the parade roll on the Uptown route at 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 11:
2. Krewes of Pygmalion, Sparta and Pontchartrain – The Krewe of Pygmalion parade is widely regarded as the highlight of the first weekend of Mardi Gras parades. Pygmalion is named for a Cypress king who was infatuated with a mesmerizing statue of a sea nymph. The Pygmalion floats are as beautiful and grand as its muse. Preceding Pygmalion are the Krewe of Pontchartrain and Knights of Sparta parades at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., respectively. Get ready for a full day of Mardi Gras, fun for the whole family!
3. ‘tit Rex Parade and Ball – The fourth annual ‘tit Rex parade starts in the Bywater at 3162 Dauphine St. at 5:30 p.m. ‘tit Rex is the first and only micro-krewe with a miniature Mardi Gras parade featuring tiny floats carrying toy doll passengers. The krewe captains will be throwing out miniature king cakes and other tiny Carnival treats to the crowd. The ‘tit Rex ball will be at the Allways Lounge at 10:00 p.m., open to the public.
Sunday, February 12:
4. Carrollton – The Krewe of Carrollton is the fourth oldest Mardi Gras organization, formed in 1924. Carrollton rolls come hell or high water, as they demonstrated in 1933 when they were the only day parade of the year due to unfavorable weather conditions. This year, the Krewe of Carrollton parade will roll through the Lower Garden District, Warehouse District and CBD. This Mardi Gras day parade will roll at noon.
5. Barkus – One of our favorite satirical Mardi Gras parades and the only one to feature a different species is the Mystic Krewe of Barkus, the canine version of Bacchus. The theme of the 20th annual parade is Mission: Impossible – Canine Protocol, Armstrong Bark Reloaded. If you love dogs as much as I do, and love dogs dressed up in costumes even more, then Barkus will be one of your favorite Mardi Gras parades. Barkus rolls at 2:00 p.m. through the French Quarter.
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