Krew de Vieux

It's Carnival time! The festivities have officially begun here folks. Colin and I attended the Krewe de Vieux parade on Saturday night. This is a unique parade, as it features only small floats which are mule driven through the Marigny and the French Quarter. This is in contrast to the Bio-diesel tractor driven monster floats used by larger krewes such as Rex, Endymion and Bacchus. The floats used in this parade are so small that only two or three people can ride in them, and the rest of the krewe associated with that float walks beside it. In fact, the Krewe de Vieux is actually composed of many smaller sub-krewes who each have a float and those who accompany it. This year the theme for the parade was "Stimulus Package" and the floats were mocked our the financial melt down. The other thing that I should note about Krewe de Vieux is that their floats and themes are often quite lewd. Most Mardi Gras events are really family friendly (despite the popular ideas to the contrary) and almost all parades are suitable for all ages. I don't think I would want to bring my kids to a Krewe de Vieux parade though, which this year featured floats such as : "Mama Roux invests in stocks and bondage" and "Shmeckel and Shekel's Foreskins and Foreclosures LLC".

Mules, the real stars of the Krewe de Vieux parade.

One thing I love about the walking members of Krewe de Vieux is that they get to create and wear these amazing hats to fit their float theme.
Above we see oil rig hats from the float "The Profits of Persia".

Members of the "Mystic Krewe of Spermes" are carrying their gametes! This krewe named themselves jokingly after the older, and more staid,"Mystic Krewe of Hermes".

this float featured an energizer bunny, and powered by
a couple wearing bunny suits on a tandem bicycle.

This float was entitled "The New Voodoo Economics" and featured a large gris-gris doll and accompanying Marie Laveau figures, the ladies with white beehives seen below.

All parade floats are interspersed with musical acts.
In the larger parades, these are often high school marching bands.
In Krewe de Vieux the musicians are often members of local jazz bands who seem to enjoy dressing up and making merry.