Krewe du Vieux will step off 6:30 p.m. this Saturday on Franklin Avenue, ushering in the official beginning of the 2015 New Orleans Carnival season with its satirical humor and local music icons. This year, the parade follows a new route which will end on the opposite side of Canal Street after meandering through the French Quarter.

“Krewe du Vieux is a parade for the people,” junior Jordan Conway said. “It’s the only parade I’ve been to where they let you dance in the streets.”

Krewe du Vieux began in 1987 as an attempt to reboot the former Krewe Du Clones, a parade based out of the Contemporary Art Center that was known for its unique street performance art.

To this day Krewe du Vieux is the only officially recognized parade allowed to march through the French Quarter (other than smaller walking parades) due to an ordinance issued in the ’70s that prohibited large floats from passing through the narrow cobblestone streets in this historic district of New Orleans.

Krewe du Vieux is known for its adult content and satirical humor; many of the floats distribute props and paraphernalia that reinforce these raunchy themes.

Each year the Krewe issues the Le Monde de Merde, a short newsletter that lampoons local New Orleans figures and current events. The Le Monde Du Merde and past issues can be found on the Krewe’s website, which proudly describes it’s own publication as “sixteen pages of pure libel that has never been translated due to contents that are neither printable nor fit for refined discourse.”

Aside from its delightful toilet humor, Krewe du Vieux also features notable local brass and jazz players. This year’s parade will feature the jazz-funk fusion band Kirk Joseph’s Backyard Groove as well as trumpet extraordinaire and Tremé native James “12” Andrews. Many have claimed Andrews rivals Louis Armstrong in talent, earning him the nickname “Satchmo of the Ghetto.”

Whether you’re looking for music, humor or simply a good time in the French Quarter, Krewe du Vieux won’t disappoint in offering its own unique blend of fun and culture.