Location:
Olde
Towne Slidell
Date: February 2, 2024 - Time: 7:00 p.m.
Krewe Website:
Mona Lisa & Moon Pie
The raucous Krewe of Mona Lisa and MoonPie was founded
in 1984 by two artists and their husbands, while bemoaning the fact
that they had to drive to The Big Easy in order to participate in
a marching arts parade. They decided to start their own krewe, and
hoped to keep the organization relatively small. Slidell natives,
Charlotte Lowry Collins and Pat Hart, along with their then husbands,
helped create, organize, and implement the event. Initially, the
parade was sponsored by the Slidell Regional Arts Council, with
the intent of honoring the arts and good humor. In recent years,
they are supported by Olde Towne Slidell Association and Olde Towne
Merchants Association.
The mission evolved when Charlotte's current husband, Tom Collins,
and then local media artist, Sharon Sharpe Edwards, began helping
the organization in 2008. That mission is still used today: "to
promote the arts, Olde Towne Slidell, and good humor". The
signature ingredients for this parade are still creative hand-made
costumes, unique hand decorated push or pull carts full of MoonPies,
flaming flambeaux, and traditional marching brass bands. Each sub-krewe
within the krewe picks their own fanciful theme or title to correspond
with the main theme of the parade, which changes every year. This
original marching parade focuses on artists, art supporters, Olde
Towne supporters, and their friends and families marching through
the street of Olde Town Slidell at dark. Their signature throws
are MoonPies bought by the Krewes from Chattanooga Bakery; over
fifty thousand moon pies fly into the crowds of loyal fans lining
the street.
Their Red Beans and Rice Ball is a tomfoolery party with bands,
the installation of royals, and traditional southern food and drink.
Throughout most of the decades, local chef, Kevin Young and his
wife Linda, have donated the main course from KY's Bicycle and Sandwich
Shop.
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