Yes..Amazon.com has tuxedos..

..and I'm going to need one because it's not just about the parade. Altho the parade is the "main event" most krewes have multiple activities and other events in the months, weeks and days leading up to their parades each year. The logistics and planning to coordinate and put on a parade for one krewe- let alone the 60+ who parade during carnival season- is mind boggling. Mid City's krewe has I think maybe 14 floats and around 200 riders; some of the "super krewes" have 3x the number of floats (and the floats are as long as 2 tractor trailers!) and maybe 1000 to 1500 riders..so, lets do the math: we are talking about dozens of floats to prepare and get to the parade route (typically pulled by trucks or in the case of Mid-City by tractors), organizing and transporting maybe 10-25 marching bands to the start of each parade, wrangling thousands of riders to the start and get them on their floats and before any of this literally tons of beads have to be loaded onto the floats! Pre-parade activities held by each krewe typically include den parties (den= the warehouse where the floats are stored), special breakfasts, brunches, cigar strolls, balcony parties, bead loadings, and formal balls. In addition, there is usually a whole set of "special" get togethers and events exclusively for members of the krewe's "royal court"-king, queen, dukes and duchesses-of that year's parade. On parade day, there may be a pre-parade mass (New Orleans has a very Catholic history) and breakfast (which for Mid-City by the way is BYOB), -and then there is the task of getting the riders dressed into costume and transported from their hotels to the start of the parade which usually means arranging for buses and other mass transportation. After the parade, there is typically a post-parade party-which for at least one of the super krewes ends with their floats rolling right INSIDE the New Orleans Superdome where the riders re-join their families,friends and other members of the larger krewe for a huge party. So, there is a lot going on in-especially in the few days running up to each krewe's parade. I will be going to the Krewe of Mid-City den party this weekend down in New Orleans where I will get to go to the krewe den, see the newly decorated floats, meet some of the other riders-including my float "captain"- and also hopefully get to see which float and where on the float ("sidewalk" or "neutral ground" side) I will be assigned to ride and throw. Then, when my wife and I go back to New Orleans together a few days before the parade, there will be a "bead load" get together on the Thursday before the parade-where literally all the beads and other throws get loaded onto the floats for the riders- and then on that Friday night is the krewe's formal ball and supper dance at a hotel in downtown New Orleans. These balls are very formal affairs- tuxedos for the men and gowns (not dresses) for the ladies are required. So back to the tuxedo.....Since I shop for just about everything these days on Amazon.com, for the heck of it I thought-since I had earned Amazon "points"-maybe I could buy vs rent a tuxedo at a good price. And, sure enough, I found a tuxedo that after applying my points ended up costing me about $17 which included having it shipped to my sister's house in New Orleans. In the meantime, my wife found a very nice burgundy full length gown at a great price at a local department store which- along with our dress shoes- is also in the mail on the way to my sister's. The ball starts at 7pm and goes until 3am (!). The court is formally presented to the King and Queen, there is dinner and dancing, and most importantly, an open bar until 2am. Should be quite a party. This is really gonna be something.