After leaving the Zulu parade we headed for the French Quarter to see if we could hook up with the Krewe Of St. Anne's walking krewe. I was hoping we would bump into them as the they made their way across Royal St towards Canal where they traditionally greet Rex King of carnival. Unlike the crowds at the Zulu parade once we entered the French Quarter pretty much everyone we saw was in costume (Note: I had read that on Mardi Gras day you would feel silly if u were NOT in costume- it is very much a participatory event). We made our way thru the crowds to Royal and as luck would have it we met up with the St. Anne's marchng krewe featuring the Storyville Stompers Brass Band. We marched with the crowd across Royal Street and ended up at Canal Street just in time to see the King of the Rex parade coming across Canal- talk about timing! Now it was time to go back across the Quarter to Frenchmen Street. As we walked people were in costume everywhere you looked. Every so often a brass band leading a secondline would come by with a different marching group -what a blast! As we approached Frenchmen St. another marching group with a band was coming towards us. As the band got closer it turned out to be the Preservation Hall Jazz Band! They passed by as fast as they had appeared-altho I did have time to shake Charlie Gabriel's hand and wish him a Happy Mardi Gras- this was really some kind of day. We kept on walking, checked out folks on Frenchmen Street hanging out in costume -now it was time to hear some music- destination: HiHo Lounge to see the Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra. As we waited for the music to start,unfortunately the early hour, long day, walking, excitement- and the adult beverages- started to take its toll. I managed to rally once the music started and the band was great. At one point a group of drummers came in off the street and joined in with the musicians on the stage-the place was really hopping. The band featured Sunpie Barnes who is also the chief of the Northside Skull and Bones gang- so I had started the day walking the streets with him before dawn and now here I was late in the afternoon ending my day watching him up on stage. Pretty cool. Soon we were in a cab and on our way back to my sister's house. Unfortunately, traffic was a nitemare and the cab ride back to Mid-City took forever- altho, on the plus side, it did give me an opportunity to close my eyes and rest on the way . It was the end to a very long and exciting day.
All right. Time for a quick primer about Mardi Gras. What is Mardi Gras? Well, Mardi Gras is not the drunken mess on Bourbon street with the beads and the flashing; in fact, believe it or not, for most local folks Mardi Gras season is a time to get together with family and friends out in the neighborhoods where the parades roll. Yes that's right- it is very much a family activity with people gathering together year after year at the same spot on the parade route to eat and drink and watch the parades roll by in hopes of catching some extra special "throws" as they also catch up with each other on the events of the past year. Ok so Mardi Gras can be a family holiday. Mardi Gras is also about the parades -which not only roll in New Orleans proper but in the surrounding towns and suburbs. Mardi Gras is also all about the throws- beads and more beads of all different sizes lengths and shapes; trinkets, dubloons, "plush" toys, coconuts, shoes, plastic cups, sunglasses- you name it, and one of the many krewes probably throws it. Many krewes have a signature throw- some of the most famous: Zulu coconuts (which are handed to bystanders vs thrown for obvious reasons), the famous Rex metallic dubloon, the Krewe of Muses decorated shoes and so on and so forth. As the floats roll by its tradition to yell "Throw me something mister" and hope that you catch a rider's eye who will single you out in the crowd and hopefully throw you that special something. Mardi Gras is the Mardi Gras Indians who work on their "pretty suits" all year and then make appearances on Mardi Gras morning throughout the neighborhods and side streets of the city. Mardi Gras is history and tradition. There are lots of ways to "do" Mardi Gras- this Frommer's article is a pretty good one in terms of providing different ways- nice, naughty or nasty- to spend that special day. And of course, Mardi Gras is king cake which at this point is available in an ever increasing number of different shapes, colors, and flavors that spark continuous debates about which is the best over the 3 week carnival season. King Cake season officially starts on Twelfth Night and lasts thru Mardi Gras Day altho over the past few years- much to the chagrin of traditionalists- they have started to appear and/or become available at other holidays or special occurences (think Saints Super Bowl a couple years ago) as well. Finally, let's not forget Mr. Mardi Gras- Arthur Hardy- who is the official historian on all things Mardi Gras. He publishes an annual "Mardi Gras Guide" which is widely available during Mardi Gras in and around the city and which quickly become collectibles. Go here for more info.....21 days and counting til Krewe Of Mid City Parade- Hail Mid City!
After leaving the Zulu parade we headed for the French Quarter to see if we could hook up with the Krewe Of St. Anne's walking krewe. I was hoping we would bump into them as the they made their way across Royal St towards Canal where they traditionally greet Rex King of carnival. Unlike the crowds at the Zulu parade once we entered the French Quarter pretty much everyone we saw was in costume (Note: I had read that on Mardi Gras day you would feel silly if u were NOT in costume- it is very much a participatory event). We made our way thru the crowds to Royal and as luck would have it we met up with the St. Anne's marchng krewe featuring the Storyville Stompers Brass Band. We marched with the crowd across Royal Street and ended up at Canal Street just in time to see the King of the Rex parade coming across Canal- talk about timing! Now it was time to go back across the Quarter to Frenchmen Street. As we walked people were in costume everywhere you looked. Every so often a brass band leading a secondline would come by with a different marching group -what a blast! As we approached Frenchmen St. another marching group with a band was coming towards us. As the band got closer it turned out to be the Preservation Hall Jazz Band! They passed by as fast as they had appeared-altho I did have time to shake Charlie Gabriel's hand and wish him a Happy Mardi Gras- this was really some kind of day. We kept on walking, checked out folks on Frenchmen Street hanging out in costume -now it was time to hear some music- destination: HiHo Lounge to see the Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra. As we waited for the music to start,unfortunately the early hour, long day, walking, excitement- and the adult beverages- started to take its toll. I managed to rally once the music started and the band was great. At one point a group of drummers came in off the street and joined in with the musicians on the stage-the place was really hopping. The band featured Sunpie Barnes who is also the chief of the Northside Skull and Bones gang- so I had started the day walking the streets with him before dawn and now here I was late in the afternoon ending my day watching him up on stage. Pretty cool. Soon we were in a cab and on our way back to my sister's house. Unfortunately, traffic was a nitemare and the cab ride back to Mid-City took forever- altho, on the plus side, it did give me an opportunity to close my eyes and rest on the way . It was the end to a very long and exciting day.
