Carnival Officially begins with the ride of the Phunny Phorty Phellows on Twelfth Night.

The Phunny Phorty Phellows will board at the RTA streetcar barn, located on Willow Street, at 6:30 p.m. on Twelfth Night, Monday, January 6th, 2014. The Phunny ride will begin at 7:00 p.m. sharp The streetcar, which, traditionally, is still bedecked in it’s yuletide dressings, will leave the station for a route that will take the partying Phellows along the St. Charles Streetcar line past Lee Circle and turnaround at Canal St. and then back to the barn. You can’t miss the streetcar, it’s the one with the really noisy party inside and a big sign hanging from it reading: “It’s Carnival Time!”

In 1982 the Phunny Phorty Phellows became the official heralds of Mardi Gras with their Twelfth Night ride in a traditional New Orleans streetcar announcing that, at last, the pre-Lenten season of “phun and phrivolity” had arrived.

Humor and whimsy are still very much a part of the Phunny Phorty tradition with some members favoring costumes inspired by current events and the peculiarities of local culture. Masked revelers gather at the streetcar barn in Uptown New Orleans for the Twelfth Night ride and get into the spirit of the event by carrying signs and banners with humorous slogans and messages. There are champagne toasts and second line dancing as the sounds of the famous Storyville Stompers New Orleans Brass Band fill the air; the Phellows, after cutting a ribbon and announcing, “It’s Carnival Time!” then board a decked-out party streetcar.

While on their merry way, the Phellows and other revelers sip champagne, eat King Cake, dance and let fly with the very first beads of the Mardi Gras season. There are two King Cakes used for this phirst night phrolic, one for the female members and one for the gents. Custom dictates that whoever takes the slices containing the plastic Carnival babies are declared Queen and Boss Phellow for the year.

All this revelry is in keeping with the motto printed on a Phunny Phorty Phellows 1896 bulletin:

“A little nonsense now and then is relished by the best of men!”

http://www.mardigrasparadeschedule.com/krewes/ppp/

http://www.phunnyphortyphellows.com/

Krewe de Jeanne D’Arc Parade

THE JOAN OF ARC PROJECT WAS FOUNDED IN 2008 BY AMY A. KIRK DUVOISIN TO CELEBRATE THE MAID OF ORLEANS (1412-1431).

Parade at 6 p.m. January 6 (St. Joan of Arc’s birthday and Twelfth Night) Walking parade in the French Quarter with a medieval, French and Joan of Arc theme

Parade Route: Toulouse & Decatur, down Decatur to Conti, up Conti to Chartres, continue on Chartres past Cathedral to Ursuline, down Ursuline to Peters, end at Washington Artillery Park street amphitheater across from Jackson Square. Runs about 45 minutes total so arrive on time!

Starts at the Natchez Pavilion with a city proclamation kicking off the Mardi Gras season

Pauses at the Historic New Orleans Collection Williams Research Center at 400 Chartres for toasts to our honorees: Maid Joan (a young woman between the ages of 16-19 who embodies the spirit of Joan and speaks French), King/Dauphin Charles (a male community leader embodying New Orleans’ French connection), and Queen Yolande (a female community leader embodying Yolande’s business and political savvy).

Pauses at the St. Louis Cathedral for a sword blessing ceremony. At 16, Joan was directed by a vision to find her original sword in the Church of St. Catherine de Fierbois.

Ends at Washington Artillery Park street amphitheater with Maid Joan crowning King Charles and sharing king cake with the crowd. Crowd is encouraged to bring their own king cake to share and perhaps your picnic wine for a toast.

http://www.joanofarcparade.com/