Joan of Arc
Friday, Jan. 6, 7 p.m., French Quarter
The Carnival season traditionally kicks off on Jan. 6, and the Joan of Arc parade leads the charge. Established in 2008, the parade is a birthday party for the 15th-century, teenage warrior woman, who triumphantly led an army during the Hundred Years War and later became the patron Saint of New Orleans, was consequently accused of heresy and infamously burned at the stake.
Blending history, anachronism, feminism, Crescent City cultural identity, marvelous costuming and a touch of Mardi Gras madness, the Joan of Arc parade is always a masterpiece. Look for a bigger, better dragon and other features in 2023. Les Fous du Carnaval
Jan. 27, 8 p.m., Marigny and French Quarter
Founded in 2022, the 100-person parade is composed of the marching clubs Flora and Fauna, the Goddesses, and the Hellarious Wingnuts - accompanied by brass bands. The parade kicks off at the intersection of Chartres and Frenchman streets proceeds to Royal Street where it turns, then left again onto St. Philip Street and right onto Decatur Street, concluding at Jackson Square.
Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus
Saturday, Jan. 28, 7 p.m., Marigny-French Quarter The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus is a nerd-friendly, science fiction-oriented, foot parade named for Bacchus, the Roman God of wine, and Chewbacca, the furry "Star Wars" sidekick.
The assorted aliens, space heroes, robots, monsters, and cosmic musicians of Chewbacchus first hit the streets in 2011. With annual dues, starting at a mere $42, the do-it-yourself krewe grew to become what may be Carnival’s largest marching club, with 2000-plus members.
Krewe Boheme
Friday, Feb. 3, 7 p.m., Marigny - French Quarter
The mostly female krewe was inspired by absinthe, a formerly outlawed liqueur favored by Belle Époque artists, which is reputed to have hallucinatory properties. The dreamy Boheme parade sashayed through the downtown streets for the first time in 2019, led by their languid mascot, a green absinthe fairy -- imagine an Art Nouveau Tinker Bell that follows the Grateful Dead.
Krewe du Vieux
Saturday, Feb. 4, 6:30 p.m., Marigny - French Quarter Expect paper mache sexual allusions and political satire aplenty from this procession of costumed marchers, mule-drawn mini floats, and spirited brass bands. Established in 1987, Krewe du Vieux is known for the sort of recklessly adolescent humor that sensible, sensitive folks avoid. Which is why the rest of us wouldn’t miss it.
tit Rex
Sunday, Feb. 5, 4:30 p.m., Marigny
Inspired by the shoe box parades traditionally created by New Orleans school kids during Carnival season, 'tit Rex (Little Rex) was founded in 2009 as an antidote to the lavish, big-footprint krewes such as Bacchus. Pronounced like the fierce dinosaur, the satirical do-it-yourself procession may be small, but it can have a big bite. Get there early for a good view.
krewedelusion
Sunday, Feb. 5, evening, time to be announced, Marigny - French Quarter
For its first 12 years, krewedelusion, one of Mardi Gras' most eccentric, eclectic parades, followed immediately behind Krewe du Vieux through most of its trek on Saturday night, but in 2023 the parade was moved to Sunday.
Expect homemade min-floats, dance troupes, and marching groups including the Mexican Krewe de Mayahuel and Kreweleidoscope (formerly Krewe du Seuss).
Krewe of Cork
Friday, Feb. 10, 3 p.m., French Quarter
The Krewe of Cork came of age in 2022, with its 21st vino-centric foot parade in the Vieux Carre. The rambling Royal Street procession is dedicated to sipping, sloshing and sharing custom-made beads and other throws.
For a few more sips of information and route map, visit the Krewe of Cork website.
Krewe of Barkus
Sunday, Feb. 12, 2 p.m., French Quarter
The supersonic theme of this year’s annual 15-block procession of costumed canines is "Top Dog: Barkus Comes to the Rescue."
Red Beans, Dead Beans, and the Krewe of Feijao
Monday, Feb 20, 2 p.m. Marching from the Marigny and Mid-City to the Treme
Founded in 2009, the multi-part marching group is known for its homemade red bean mosaic costumes that celebrate one of the Crescent City's signature dishes, red beans and rice, which is traditionally eaten on Monday. The Red Beans parade was one of several do-it-yourself Carnival processions that popped up in downtown New Orleans during the period of recovery after Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flood.
The spin-off Dead Beans parade has a Mexican Day of the Dead vibe, while the Krewe of Feijao incorporates elements of both Cajun and Brazilian culture.
Mardi Gras Indians
Tuesday, Feb. 21, various locations
Not parades, per se, small “tribes” or “gangs” of Mardi Gras Indians, also called Black Masking Indians, emerge on Fat Tuesday morning and set out in the city’s neighborhoods in search of other Indians. The age-old costuming tradition symbolizes the interconnection of black and Native American cultures in New Orleans.
As the tribes travel, the maskers and their entourages sing traditional call-and-response chants that have inspired New Orleans' musical styles from rhythm and blues to funk to bounce.
When two Indian groups intersect, they compete to determine which has the prettiest “suits.” The flamboyant feathered suits, decorated with incredibly intricate bead work mosaics, are a unique New Orleans art form at the pinnacle of Mardi Gras costuming.
It’s difficult to predict exactly where wandering Mardi Gras Indians will appear, though North Claiborne Avenue near St. Bernard Avenue is a good bet.
The Societé de Sainte Anne and other marching clubs
Tuesday, Feb. 21, morning, Bywater to French Quarter
For many, the Zulu and Rex parades are the climax of Carnival. But some celebrants find their ways farther downriver to the Bywater and Marigny neighborhoods where hundreds of do-it-yourself costumers gather at select intersections like flocks of surrealistic peacocks preparing to migrate en masse into the French Quarter.
The most spectacular of the many marching clubs is the Societe de Sainte Anne. The half-century-old costuming club was named for a mysterious 19th-century tomb that members discovered in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 and is meant to be a throwback to the informal, 19th-century foot processions that preceded organized float parades.
To behold the spectacle, stake out a place on Royal Street at Franklin Avenue or Kerlerec Street and follow the crowd into the Vieux Carre. To distinguish St. Anne from other marching groups, look for glinting standards made from hula hoops strung with fluttering ribbons.
courtesy of NOLANews/Nola.com
https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/mardi_gras/mardi-gras-2023-all-the-big-downtown-foot-parades-with-maps/article_438bb192-9b49-11ed-8a70-a30066045ab2.html