Krewe of Muses

Julia Engel l Staff Reporter

Krewe of Muses, one of the most popular krewes to roll through the streets of New Orleans during Carnival, was founded in 2000 and is named after the mystic daughters of Zeus. An all-women’s krewe, many consider Muses to be the glamorous counterpart to the famous Rex, the oldest and most royal krewe of Mardi Gras. The ladies of Muses are known for their creative throws, including the rare and highly coveted hand-decorated shoes. If you do catch one of these sparkly, decked-out heels, consider yourself one of the luckiest parade-goers of all of Mardi Gras. Be careful, though, people tend to get quite aggressive when they spot the sparkles of a high-heeled trophy.

Krewe of Endymion

Ben Shooter l Associate Arcade Editor

Since 1967, the Saturday before Mardi Gras has hosted the Krewe of Endymion parade, one of the largest and most highly anticipated parades of the entire celebration. Considered one of the “Super-Krewes” of Mardi Gras, Endymion is known for massive floats, elaborate laser light effects, well-known celebrities as “Grand Marshals” and plentiful throws. The Krewe’s website promises “millions of strands of Mardi Gras beads.” Unlike some of the other large parades, Endymion begins at 4:15 p.m. at the intersection of City Park and Orleans Avenues and spends a great deal of time on Canal Street before turning onto St. Charles Avenue and finally concluding at Champions Square.

Krewe of Thoth

Sam Ergina l Online Arcade Editor

The Krewe of Thoth will hit the streets of New Orleans 12 p.m. Sunday. The krewe was founded in 1947 and has since expanded considerably into one of the biggest parades of the weekend. Named after the Egyptian god of knowledge, the Krewe of Thoth diverges from the regular parade route due to its mission as a parade. The krewe’s route was conceived in order to cater to those suffering from physical disabilities, or illnesses that prevented them from traveling to the Uptown parade path most krewes follow. The Krewe of Thoth continues to pass by some of the original 14 institutions caring for these patients. It will kick off at the intersection of State and Tchoupitoulas streets and will head upriver before turning right on Henry Clay Avenue. It then turns right from Henry Clay onto Magazine Street and then turns at Napoleon Avenue until it reaches the route of the other Uptown parades on St. Charles Avenue.

Krewe of Bacchus

Taylor DeMulling l Associate Arcade Editor

Known for its inventive style and election of a celebrity king, Bacchus is one of the most highly anticipated parades of Carnival season. The krewe, named after the Roman god of wine, will take its 33 super-floats to the streets at 5:15 p.m. Sunday. The parade will begin at the intersection of Tchoupitoulas Street and Napoleon Avenue, head north along Napoleon Avenue toward St. Charles Avenue, then turn east. It will then follow along St. Charles down to and around Lee Circle, then head back on St. Charles to Canal Street. At the intersection of Canal and Tchoupitoulas Streets, the parade will turn south down Tchoupitoulas and continue to the intersection of Tchoupitoulas and Caliope Streets, where the parade will follow through to Convention Center Boulevard.

Krewe of Orpheus

Taylor DeMulling l Associate Arcade Editor

Orpheus, a parade favorite among Tulane students, boasts a similarly impressive list of celebrity riders, including founding member Harry Connick, Jr. Named after Orpheus, the musically-inclined son of the muse Calliope, the krewe was also the first to allow both male and female riders. The parade kicks off at 6:00 p.m. Monday and starts at the intersection of Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street. It will follow St. Charles Avenue all the way to Lee Circle, around the circle and back on St. Charles northward to Canal Street. It then follows Canal to the intersection of Canal and Tchoupitoulas Streets, where the parade will follow Tchoupitoulas to Caliope Street, then turn east and end at the Convention Center.

Krewe of Zulu

Ben Shooter l Associate Arcade Editor

For a real look at New Orleans history, parade-goers should wake up early for the Krewe of Zulu parade at 8 a.m. on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 9. Zulu has existed as part of the Mardi Gras tradition since the early 1900s. It’s known for the trademark throw, the “golden nugget” or coconut, which is thought to have been a fixture since around 1910. The Zulu parade begins uptown at South Claiborne and Jackson Avenues, traveling down Jackson before turning onto St. Charles Avenue. Once the parade reaches the French Quarter, it can be seen from sections of Canal Street, Basin Street and Orleans Avenue, before concluding at Broad Street.

Krewe of Rex

Sam Ergina l Online Arcade Editor

One of the oldest and most celebrated krewes of Carnival season, the Krewe of Rex kicks off at 10 a.m. Mardi Gras day. Many of the parade traditions were created by the 144-year old krewe. The Carnival colors of gold, green and purple, as well as the tossing of doubloons all began with this lavish parade. It also holds the tradition of electing a member of the krewe as Rex, or king, of the parade. Traditionally, the elected member also receives a symbolic key to the city from the mayor, demonstrating the krewe’s importance to New Orleans. The Krewe of Rex will start at Napoleon and South Claiborne Avenues, where it will parade down Napoleon until it turns on St. Charles Avenue to travel all the way to Canal Street.