Now that we are well into Carnival Season and Phunny Phorty Phellows kicked things off right on Twelfth Night, more and more excitement fills the air in New Orleans because a host of Mardi Gras parades are right around the corner. Next up is a local favorite, Krewe du Vieux. This edgy, satirical romp of a parade is the only one that still implements strictly hand and mule-drawn floats, as opposed to tractor-drawn ones, like traditional Carnival celebrations of old, and also relies solely on music from live bands marching along with the floats. The intricate and hilarious floats are all hand-decorated and the adult, irreverent nature of the themes are a throwback to early 19th century Carnival traditions in the way that they poke fun of local politics, people, events, and customs.
This year’s Krewe du Vieux parade falls on February 15 and starts at 6:30 p.m., rolling through the French Quarter and Marigny, as always. In anticipation of the first official Mardi Gras parade of 2014, we can’t help but look back to photos from previous years to get us pumped up for what this year’s Mardi Gras parades have in store for us, which is why this week’s Instagram Pick is one of the floats from last year’s Krewe du Vieux parade by @r-moesb on Instagram. The distorted and beautiful photo captures the magnitude and excitement of celebrations on the parade route, and magnifies my childlike impatience for Krewe du Vieux and the other parades to get here.
Which New Orleans Mardi Gras parades are you most looking forward to?
