Stay Tuned For My Experiences During Mardi Gras Celebrations, And Doing Other Cool Stuff In New Orleans! Will Share Travel Tips, Culture, Music, And Of Course, What To Eat!
One of the things about Mardi Gras celebrations that I love is the music. The songs, the horns, especially along with the brass bands, just get me caught up in a party flow no matter where I am. Kermit Ruffins, native New Orleans trumpet player and vocalist, teamed up with the renowned Rebirth Brass Band on their rendition of "Mardi Gras Day". You can play the video below to listen.
Feel free to post comments below and let me know what you'd like to see here. Thanks for stopping by. Sondra Carpenter The Mardi Gras Girl
One of the many special components of the Mardi Gras parades are the marching bands. They consist primarily of local area high schools and the most famous is from the St. Augustine High School in New Orleans. They are known as "The Marching 100" to their fans and are considered one of the best high school marching bands in the United States. They have played in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Super Bowl, also during a celebration for Pope John Paul II. Check out the video below to see them in action!
The walking clubs consist of people that gather together to enjoy the Mardi Gras experience. These Mardi Gras krewes may walk holding banners, some participants wearing costumes and others play music. They offer a personalized version of the celebration, each with their own traditions. A few that parade during Mardi Gras are: * The The North Side Skull and Bone Gang This group starts out in the Treme, the oldest Black neighborhood in the country, in the wee hours of the morning. Click here to read my previous post about this krewe. * The Society of Saint Anne or St. Anne Revelers They are known for their beautiful colorful costumes and for their ritual of carrying the ashes through the parade of Society members that have passed away to the Mississippi River. * KOE (formerly Krewe of Elvis) This walking club is interesting in that it is made up of members from around the country as well as worldwide and anyone can join. Members dress in costume according to that year's theme. Usually Mardi Gras organizations consist of New Orleans area locals only. Pictured are revelers from Saint Anne. Photo credit: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert For updated schedules on the walking clubs for 2017 you'll want to check out this page: http://www.mardigrasparadeschedule.com/Mardi-Gras-Marching-Clubs/ You can post comments below. Thanks for visiting! Sondra Carpenter The Mardi Gras Girl TheMardiGrasGirl.com
Mardi Gras Day is February 28 this year, but that's not when you want to start getting involved in the festivities. The actual Carnival Season begins each year on January 6, which is also Three King's Day or Feast of the Epiphany. The Mardi Gras krewe of The Phunny Phorty Phellows will be riding the streetcar tonight to start off the season. They'll be in the Uptown section of the city and heading down St. Charles Avenue on a streetcar starting at 7PM. This krewe has a tradition of satire and fun as opposed to the regal presentation presented by the Krewe of Rex. Check out their website for more details at: http://www.phunnyphortyphellows.com
Parades from several krewes and clubs will be running every day through to Mardi Gras. Photo credit: Kathleen Flynn, NOLA.com / The Times-Picayune You can post questions or comments below. Thank for visiting! Sondra Carpenter The Mardi Gras Girl TheMardiGrasGirl.com