Here are our top ‘kid fun and friendly’ parades this Carnival Season!
Some are day parades, some night- but all are fun for different reasons, whether its the crowds, the throws, or how the parade rolls and its theme. So get plannin’ and get your ladder ready! (editor’s note- this list is NOT all-inclusive by any stretch- but just our picks for this year!)
(date) 12th Sun. Krewe of Little Rascals, Veteran’s Memorial Blvd., Metairie. America’s longest running, most flamboyant children’s Mardi Gras Krewe. (Noon)
17th Fri. Krewe of Excalibur, Veteran’s Memorial Blvd., Metairie. The medieval theme carries through with grand costuming, including fully suited knights on horseback. (7 pm)
17th Krewe of Athena, Veteran’s Memorial Blvd., Metairie. Established in 2014 and parading for the first time in 2015, it’s the newest all-female Mardi Gras club in Jefferson Parish, and is led predominately by African-American women. (7:30 pm)
18th Sat. Krewe de Paws, Olde Towne Slidell. A fun time, and the Krewe raises money for animal assistance groups. (10 am)
18th Krewe of Caesar, Veteran’s Memorial Blvd., Metairie. The largest Carnival organization in Jefferson Parish history, it’s known for its fiber-optics, neon and three-dimensional figures. (6 pm)
18th Krewe of Chewbacchus, St. Peter St. to Frenchman St. to St. Claude Ave., Marginy. Growing in popularity (and size) each year, the parade will avoid the narrower streets of Marginy this go-round. Organizers expect 2,000-3,000 participants, with the overall theme of “The Revel Alliance.” (7 pm)
19th Sun. Krewe of Carrollton, Uptown. The city’s 4th oldest parading krewe. (noon)
19th Krewe of King Arthur and Merlin, Uptown. It’s the largest parading krewe on this first Sunday—family Sunday—of Mardi Gras, with nearly 1,000 riders, 16 super floats, and 26 marching units. (follows the Krewe of Carrollton)
19th Krewe of Barkus, Armstrong Park & the French Quarter. Starring dogs, of course, with the krewe’s queen being an adopted or rescued female dog. (2 pm)
23rd Thurs. Krewe of Muses, Uptown. Featuring an all-female Krewe, it’s put on award-winning displays since first parading in 2001. (6:30 pm)
25th Sat. Krewe of Iris, Uptown. Founded in 1917, it has 900 female riders, 32 floats, and 12 equestrian units and marching bands. (11 am)
25th Krewe of Endymion, Mid-City. With 81 floats, 3,200 riders, and a multimillion dollar budget, it’s a huge spectacle to behold. KISS, Flo Rida and KC and the Sunshine Band will perform at the Mercedes Benz Superdome at the Endymion Extravaganza following the parade. (parade starts around 4 pm)
26th Sun. Krewe of Napoleon, Veteran’s Blvd., Metairie. Features a team of white horses pulling the ‘Arc de Triomphe.” (5 pm)
26th Krewe of Thoth, St. Charles St., Uptown. Among the krewe’s throws are 3-D die-cut metallic necklaces, six-inch stuffed polar bears and many varieties of specialized doubloons. (noon)
28th Tues. Krewe of Rex, Uptown. This parade krewe is the origin of many traditions of Mardi Gras, including its colors of purple, green and gold, as well as the collectible doubloon coins. (10 am)
28th Krewe of Elks-Jeffersonians, Metairie. Comprised of 4,000 male and female riders and featuring more than 90 trucks, it is the oldest and largest of the all the truck krewes. (11 am)