krewedelusion Mardi Gras parade crowns Blaine Kern Sr. as 2016 king
The krewedelusion Mardi Gras marching group has announced that Blaine Kern Sr., patriarch of the Kern float building empire, will reign as "King Bragadocious and Captain of New Orleans" during Carnival 2016."I've been putting on parades for over seventy years," the 88-year-old Kern said in a statement accompanying the announcement Friday (Dec. 18), "practically all the big ones in New Orleans and all over the world, but krewedelusion is unique. Being King is going to be exhilarating!" Kern may very well be exhilarated on Jan. 23, but he will probably not be as eye-catching as last year's krewedelusion monarch, burlesque bombshell Trixie Minx. In its seventh year, krewedelusion 2016 will feature its customary do-it- yourself costumed marchers and small human-powered floats, following a route through the Marigny and French Quarter on Jan. 23, starting at 6:45.- NOLA.COM
Chewbacchus Awakens: 2016 Route Released
Who is Kylo Ren really? Where is Luke? What's up with the new lightsabers? There are a lot of questions in the sci-fi world these days. However, the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus answered a few of their own this morning. The science fiction (and fantasy) themed carnival organization announced a new route and time today. According to an online statement from Space Commander Chewbaccacabra Ryan Ballard, the 2016 theme will be, "The Chewluminati: Nerd World Order." “Rules were made to be broken. Do whatcha wanna shall be the whole of the law. For the first time ever, this years Chewbacchus Parade will also feature the inclusion of gas powered Art Cars on a case-by-case approval basis. Several individuals with amazing art cars have clamored for years to roll in the parade. And the time has come to open things up to them." Dogs will also be allowed in the parade this year via the newly created sub-krewe of Star Woofs. In previous years, the krewe’s trademark Bar2-D2, and subkrewes such the Krewe de Who and the Elliots (from E.T.) have thrilled parade spectators. They will be joined by Weed2D2 in 2016. Other additions include "a giant Chewluminati Pyramid with an interactive All Seeing Eye, as well as a Reptillian Delorean Pope Mobile fit for a Lizard King." Celebrities on the roster include Corey Glover as well as the cast and crew of NCIS: New Orleans. The parade rolls on January 30, 2016 at 7:00p.m. promptly. Be on time, it’s not wise to upset a wookie.- NOLADEFENDER.COM
Original Krewe of Orpheus plans to parade in Mandeville on Feb. 5
Beset with financial problems and dwindling membership, the Original Krewe of Orpheus has not paraded in Mandeville for the past three Mardi Gras seasons. But the all-male Carnival organization is hoping to roll Feb. 5 now that it has the blessing of Mandeville's special events committee to do so.The committee's approval last week of the krewe's parade permit application will be forwarded to the City Council for a vote in December. If the council votes in favor, the permit request will be sent to Mayor Donald Villere for his signature. Villere said he recently joined the organization and will sign off on the parade.John Lawrence, a north shore attorney who took over as Orpheus captain in February, said the organization currently has 150 to 175 members. A city ordinance requires that Carnival organizations have at least 200 riders to parade. Lawrence said the krewe is still signing up members and he expects to have 200 riders and 13 floats on parade day."We're rolling," Lawrence said. "Everyone seems to be very excited that we're back."- NOLA.COM
Krewe of Grela will not roll for Carnival 2016
Officials tell WDSU it was not economically feasible for the Krewe to roll in 2016. The west bank parade traditionally rolls on Fat Tuesday. Grela was founded in 1947 and rolls in Gretna. The parade takes its name from the first three letters of Gretna and the first two letters in the abbreviation for Louisiana. The Krewe was the first to put on a parade on the west bank of Jefferson Parish on Fat Tuesday. In recent years, Grela had touted about 400 riders. Additional details about the Krewe's decision this year were not released. More information about Grela can be found on its Facebook page. - WDSU.COM
Arthur Hardy, Mardi Gras expert, moves to WVUE, Fox 8
Mardi Gras maven Arthur Hardy will report on Carnival 2016 from the news desk of WVUE, Fox 8, according to a report on the TV station website. Known for his encyclopedic knowledge, bow tie and popular annual Mardi Gras Guide, Hardy had been a seasonal stalwart at WDSU television. According to the announcement from WVUE, Hardy will provide "more in-depth and historical reports on some of the season's more popular parades." He will also "provide insight and expertise during FOX 8's popular live broadcast of the Krewe of Endymion Parade on Saturday, Feb. 6, 2016." WDSU's online profile of Hardy includes a short biography of the New Orleans native who attended Warren Easton High School, received a degree in music education from Loyola University and was long-time band director at Brother Martin High School. - NOLA.COM
Blaine Kern, Sr. and son settle succession plan for Blaine Kern Artists, Inc.
The first family of Mardi Gras floats works out an agreement for control and the future of Blaine Kern Artists,Inc. A statement announcing the corporate succession plan says Barry Kern will continue as president and C.E.O. It says Blaine Kern, Sr. "will continue his role as 'Mr. Mardi Gras' and international ambassador for Carnival." The statement also addresses conflicts between father and son which flared in 2010 & 2011 when Barry Kern went to court fighting for control and alleged his father's lavish spending was threatening the company's financial stability. " While there were some misunderstandings in the past, and regretfully things were said that should not have been, Barry and Blaine, with the help of Blaine's wife, Holly, made amends some time ago." It characterizes this week's agreement as a formality, "a final step to move the company forward with a clear, mutually agreed upon vision." Blaine Kern Artists, Inc. designs, builds and stages many of the region's largest carnival parades.- FOX8LIVE.COM
Jefferson Parish makes changes for upcoming Carnival season
WDSU Mardi Gras guide Arthur Hardy said the Corps de Napoleon will move its parade to the first weekend of the parade season. Also, next year's parades will have to go on without the Krewes of Atlas, Thor and Zeus. Hardy said the krewes didn't make the deadline to apply for permits. WDSU reported earlier this month that the all-new female Krewe of Pandora will have its inaugural parade on Lundi Gras. The parade is scheduled to roll at 7 p.m..- WDSU.COM
Metairie gets new, all-female parade krewe for 2016
Bucking the trend of shrinking Carnival offerings in Jefferson Parish, the new all-female Krewe of Pandora has won approval to parade in Metairie on Lundi Gras beginning in 2016. Pandora, which was started by the leadership of the New Orleans-based Mystic Krewe of Nyx, had its permit approved by the Jefferson Parish Council on Wednesday. “We are very excited at the opportunity to bring a beautiful parade to Jefferson Parish,” Pandora Captain Lori Seuzeneau said in a written statement. “We are honored that we have received such a warm welcome and that the council believes in our ability to bring a quality parade to their current lineup.” Seuzeneau said the idea for the krewe “began as we talked about the love women have for Mardi Gras and the opportunities for parading with their friends.” Pandora’s entry into Metairie’s Carnival season couldn’t come at a better time for Jefferson Parish Mardi Gras. Declining membership in the face of rising costs and the popularity of parading in New Orleans has kept some of the parish’s traditional krewes from meeting the minimum parish requirements to roll, leading to fines, cancellations and suspensions. Atlas, which hasn’t rolled for the past two years, remains in doubt to parade next year, and the Krewe of Zeus — Jefferson’s oldest — said last week that it will not roll in 2016 following a dispute with the parish over whether its declining numbers of floats and marching band members violated parish rules. At present, the list of Metairie parades includes Excalibur, Caesar, Centurions, Isis, Napoleon and Argus, which is followed on Fat Tuesday by the truck parades of Jefferson and Elks Jeffersonians. The Krewe of Little Rascals parades just before the start of the Carnival season. The Jefferson Parish Council’s vote to approve Pandora’s permit was unanimous.- THENEWORLEANSADVOCATE.COM
'Original' Krewe of Orpheus hopes to parade in Mandeville next Mardi Gras season
For the past three Mardi Gras seasons, the Original Krewe of Orpheus has failed to roll through the streets of Mandeville, where it began in 1988 and had been one of the north shore city's longest-running parades. Beset with financial problems and dwindling membership, the all-male organization has worked hard to bolster its ranks since it last rolled in 2012, but to no avail. Now, with a new captain at the helm, the Mandeville Carnival organization is renewing its efforts to attract members so that it can once again hit the streets on the Friday before Mardi Gras 2016. Last year, the all-female Krewe of Eve was Mandeville's only Carnival parade. Lawrence said the organization must reach its membership goal by October if it is to parade in 2016. It already has a permit to parade on Feb. 5, the Friday before Mardi Gras 2016, which will be Feb. 9. Mandeville's Original Krewe of Orpheus began parading several years before the better-known New Orleans krewe of the same name, thus the "original" reference in its name. The New Orleans version, co-founded by entertainer by Harry Connick Jr., parades Uptown on Lundi Gras. Lawrence said he believes Mandeville would benefit from a second parade for the upcoming Mardi Gras season.. - NOLA.COM
Slidell parades dispute probation warning for bad behavior
When the Krewe of Dionysus received a letter from the city of Slidell saying the parade was on probation for one curse word being played in one song on one float, Krewe Officer Andy Frisard was appalled. "If you've got two minor infractions, do you lose your permit if you have a third one the next year? That's scary," he said. The Krewe of Perseus was also told it could lose its riding privileges for 2017 for having too much spacing between floats and because a dance team displayed some distasteful moves. "Well I thought it was a little silly the way they just gave us a letter that says if you are doing this you can be put on probation. It didn't make any sense," said Captain Allen Little. Four out of eight Slidell Mardi Gras krewes received the stern warning, and even though many took part in developing the new rules the city is now enforcing, parade leaders say they're stunned at the blanket, extreme punishments. Not enough to take their party elsewhere, however. "I don't want to do that. We've been here 46 years. We're the oldest Mardi Gras krewe here in Slidell," said Little, "Most of our people are from Slidell. We like to parade here, we want to parade here." One krewe met with city leaders Monday and others plan to follow suit, all with the same goal. "We hope that the ordinance can, the punishment phases of it can be defined so where you know this is a major infraction, it's handled this way, this is a minor infraction and it's handled this way," said Frisard. Krewes just want to make sure fun stays in Mardi Gras while maintaining Slidell's family-friendly standards. Slidell Mayor Freddy Drennan said the city is committed to working with the krewes on these issues, but he offered no further comment on the krewe's specific complaints. - WWLTV.COM
Slidell puts half its Carnival krewes on probation for parade violations
Half of Slidell’s Carnival krewes received letters from the city last week outlining rules the city says they broke in 2015 and serving notice that they are on probation for the 2016 parade season — a move that came as a surprise to the parading organizations. City officials declined to say how many organizations were involved or to provide details about their individual infractions. City Administrator Tim Mathison told krewe officials assembled in the City Council chamber Thursday that he had decided it was better not to air everyone’s dirty laundry. City Attorney Bryan Haggerty said that while the letters are public record, the city does not have to provide them while the possibility of adjudication remains. But officials with four of the eight krewes that paraded in 2015 — Claude, Dionysus, Perseus and the Slidell Women’s Civic Club — confirmed that they have been put on probation. Selene, Titans and the city’s two walking parades, Mona Lisa & MoonPie and Krewe de Paws of Olde Towne, were not put on probation, representatives said. However, Selene officials said they had been informed their 2015 parade started eight minutes late. Krewes on probation could lose their right to parade in 2017 if they commit further violations next year. - THENEWORLEANSADVOCATE.COM
Additional Slidell Mardi Gras parade OK'd under revised ordinance
The Slidell City Council adopted an amended parade ordinance that clears the way for a new parading krewe to join the city's lineup. The city's ordinance had been capped at eight parades, but the amended ordinance allows nine. The new parade, the Krewe of Poseidon, will be a daytime parade with male and female riders, Poseidon representatives said. "There was a lot of interest by people in a co-ed, daytime krewe,'' Poseidon captain Ronny Kastner said. "We wanted to bring something more traditional.'' Poseidon president Jack Hutchison said the krewe has 338 riders, much more than 120-rider minimum the city's ordinance calls for.. - NOLA.COM
Endymion Mardi Gras parade rider sues after falling off horse during parade
A family is suing a business claiming its negligence caused personal injuries a Mardi Gras parade participant. William Neubauer, and wife Jane, filed suit against Cascade Stables Inc. on April 13 in Orleans Parish District Court. William Neubauer claims that on February 14, 2015 he was severely injured when the saddle of the horse he was riding on during the Endymion Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans collapsed and caused him to fall “violently” to the ground.The defendant is accused of various acts of negligence such as providing a saddle that was defective and in unsafe condition, failing to properly maintain saddles and other equipment, working in a careless and reckless matter and other acts of omission or commission. An unspecified amount in damages is sought for economic damages to include the loss of the benefit of his Mardi Gras krewe membership, parade throws, related damages, mental anguish, physical pain and suffering and medical expenses.. - LOUISIANARECORD.COM
Zulu crowns Jay H. Banks as its king for Mardi Gras 2016
Jay H. Banks was elected Sunday (May 31) to reign as the 2016 king of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club parade, held on Mardi Gras morning. Outdoor campaigning took place despite continuous afternoon showers on Sunday as the members of the Carnival organization gathered near their North Broad Street headquarters to crown next year's organization officials.In addition to electing a new king, the membership selected the 2016 roster of "characters," as Zulu parade dignitaries are known. Keith Thomas was elected Big Shot 2016, Keith Celestine ran unopposed in his bid for next year's Witch Doctor, Herbert Dunbar became Ambassador 2016, Dorian R. Rawles Sr. ran unopposed for the position of Mayor, Anthony "Tony" Laurent Jr. ran unopposed for Province Prince, Christopher White ran unopposed for Governor, and Todd Duvernay beat out two competitors for Mr. Big Stuff.. - NOLA.COM
2015 New Orleans Mardi Gras Parade Photos are now posted online!
Thank you to everyone on the parade routes who offered hospitality and well wishes. And thank you NOPD again for the wonderful job you do every year. Finally, thank you to all the krewes, bands, marching groups, tractor drivers, float designers, tire repair people, etc, etc, etc. Without you none of this is possible. I look forward to seeing all of you next year!.Mardi Gras Day next year is February 9, 2016 • Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Rex 2015 Pictures • Mardi Gras Day (French Quarter & Frenchman) 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Proteus 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Orpheus 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Okeanos 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Mid City 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Thoth 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Bacchus 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Iris 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Tucks 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Endymion 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Hermes 2015 Pictures • Le Krewe d'État 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Morpheus 2015 Pictures • Knights of Babylon 2015 Pictures • Knights of Chaos 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Muses 2015 Pictures • Mystic Krewe of Druids 2015 Pictures • Mystic Krewe of Nyx 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Carrollton 2015 Pictures • Krewe of King Arthur 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Alla 2015 Pictures • Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale 2015 Pictures • Mystic Krewe of Barkus 2015 Pictures by Harriet Cross • Krewe of Pontchartrain 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Choctaw 2015 Pictures • Knights of Sparta 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Pygmalion 2015 Pictures • Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus 2015 Pictures • Oshun 2015 Pictures • Krewe of Cleopatra 2015 Pictures - Krewe du Vieux 2015 Pictures • krewedelusion 2015 Pictures Phunny Phorty Phellows 2015 Pictures - MARDIGRASPARADESCHEDULE.COM
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