From Ian McNulty at The Advocate:
The Krewe of Lafcadio is a small marching parade that pays tribute to the flavor of our city in a unique way. Its monarchs are not celebrities or society mavens, but instead represent the city’s culinary heritage and restaurant culture.
Some marchers don food-themed costumes, from the vegetables of the Creole “trinity” to Zapp’s potato chip wrappers, and others are organized in groups like the sous chef brigade or Hostess Cupcake Brigade. As a marching parade, this one is light on beads but heavy on interaction with onlookers. Its signature throw is a wooden kitchen spoon, and along the route, you’ll hear people cheering and chanting for spoons like they were Zulu coconuts.
The parade is named for Lafcadio Hearn, a writer who documented New Orleans culture in the 19th century and published a seminal Creole cookbook in 1885.
The parade is also a fundraiser, using membership dues and other contributions to send chefs from New Orleans restaurants to prepare meals for the crews aboard the USS Louisiana and USS New Orleans, two warships based near Seattle and in San Diego, respectively.
“It’s about sharing that culture with people who go into harms way on our behalf,” said Kelly.
The Krewe of Lafcadio begins at 2 p.m. on Feb. 25 at Antoine’s Restaurant (713 St. Louis St.), wends through the French Quarter and disbands near the restaurant.
Category Archives: French Quarter
34th Annual Mardi Gras Mask Market at the French Market
Friday, February 24th– Monday, February 27th (Lundi Gras) 10:00 am – 4:00 pm daily
Find handmade masks by artisans from around the country who converge at the French Market for this annual event. It’s the perfect place to GET YOUR MARDI GRAS ON! Entertainment and masquerading 10:00 am – 4:00 pm daily during the Mask Market. Held at the French Market in Dutch Alley at the intersection of Decatur & Dumaine.
Hail Barkus!
Did you Know…
The King ascends through the ranks, usually after being a duke or grand marshall.
The Queen is selected by secret ballot and announced only weeks before the parade, and is always a rescued/adopted female dog.
Founded in 1993, the Mystic Krewe of Barkus is a non-profit organization. The Mystic Krewe of Barkus was envisioned and created in November 1992 at a meeting of the Margaret Orr (WDSU-TV Weather Anchor) Fan Club held at Good Friends Bar. Thomas Wood brought his dog Jo Jo McWood to the meeting, where people complained about her neurotic ways. To get back at them all, Wood decided to make Jo Jo McWood queen of her parade and captain-for-life. Thus, the Krewe of Barkus was born.
The first Krewe meeting was held January 25, 1993, when the Krewe (after many beers) officially elected Jo Jo McWood Queen Barkus I. Jager Freeman, dog of Scott Freeman, was selected as King Barkus I. The chosen theme was “Welcome To The Flea Market.”
Royal Mule Team
One of the trueisms about living in the Quarter ( and different from even the experiences of our “almost-residents” aka storekeepers or other business owners) is the scads of information that one gets from popping out on the sidewalk dozens or more times in one day, observing the activities or even while still back in your space, hearing them happen and perhaps noting the time in the back of your mind while you put laundry in the washer before any commerce is even beginning. Those activities include workers arriving at dawn and standing in front of your door soberly assessing current tip levels; delivery trucks huffing and puffing outside from 5:30 am on, pulling cases of items out (which ramps up especially in mid-week); knowing the tour guides who do their work with respect and gusto and those who do not; separating the good hustlers from the dangerous ones and much more. One other is learning the names and company of the sanitation crews and the identification of who actually works versus those who just walk and swipe at the ground once in a while. One of the good ones is Royal Carriages. In case you didn’t know, all of the carriage companies are supposed to take their turn in the Quarter, cleaning up after their mules; however most do not bother. The one company that is consistent and conscientious is Royal Carriages.
Recently, they had an open house at their stables in the Marigny where they invited the locals via social media to see what was up and offered some free food and drink and music. I went by and was impressed by the cleanliness and attention they paid to their space. So when I saw the cleaner out on the cart today and that he was stopped right in front of my door, I thanked him for his work and we had a short chat. His name is Roger and he is proud of his company and told me that the mules there get 4 months off per year and the place is kept “spotlessly”clean. He was as cheery of a worker as the modern world has and I am glad to have him around and to have a name to assign to his face.
The workers and residents of the Quarter acknowledge each other’s dependency on the other. We share a pride in our place and a willingness to play the hosts to the city’s millions of visitors. Royal Mule Carriages illustrates that truth.
Krewe Du Vieux has a new parade route
Mardi Gras 2017 in New Orleans shifts into high gear on Feb. 11 this year with a parade known for its decidedly adult themes – Krewe Du Vieux. Here is their new route.
Mitch: Leave Bourbon Street alone. Leave our small businesses alone.
Mayor Landrieu: Rescind Your Cameras and Closed Doors Security Proposal
Petition is here
This is one of the nuttiest and most dangerous ideas that our mayor has come up yet. Making Bourbon a ped-only street will snarl the traffic that needs to serve a large neighborhood and will make Iberville, Conti and Toulouse (especially) virtual parking lots. (Iberville is already snarled between Bourbon and Royal when the parking lots are backed up.) That will undo the Quarter’s dynamic flow once and for all, and reduce the cross streets to 20 hour a day freight zones with the ensuing mess leaking onto the residential streets.
As for the 3 a.m. idea, I don’t even know where to begin. What about this idea will reduce random shootings, gang retaliations or even any other major crime issue? How does closing the doors of bars solve any of these? Instead we will have people leaving bars with no “eyes on the street” (meaning bartenders or bouncers or other workers) that are there now to watch out for them. Instead we will have bars and clubs going out of business.
Security cameras managed by the city have been tried and have failed. Better to incentivize businesses to install better cameras and for the city to actually USE those cameras rather than ignoring them as they do now. Spend money on building a force that investigates crimes, using available technology and witnesses and old fashioned analysis. Get OUT there and know community members, notice upticks as they happen, build a knowledge base to actually solve crimes rather than just relying on Crimestopper rewards for the sensational crimes, ignoring the rest.
Community policing (more better paid cops, with more training, walking and biking on the streets and cops stationed inside partner businesses) will do more than any street-killing idea.
Honestly, Mitch Landrieu seems to be as out of touch as C Ray was in his last days as mayor. Maybe we need to do away with 2 term mayors…..
Some French Quarter Bars Owners Aren’t On Board With a New Citywide Safety Plan
Pics of Funeral for Lady Liberty- Jan 20,2017
French Quarter block by block 
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