Mardi Gras Parades Should Be Fun: Be Courteous to Others

Mardi Gras season is here in New Orleans, and parade season is upon us. Parades in New Orleans are different from parades in other parts of the country because our floats are interactive with the crowd—we throw beads and gifts to spectators. In addition to the millions of Mardi Gras beads thrown each year, most Mardi Gras Krewes have a signature “throw” as well. Two of the most popular Mardi Gras parades for handmade throws are the two largest female Krewe Parades: Krewe of Muses and Krewe of Nyx. Also, everyone in New Orleans loves to try and snag a Zulu Coconut.

Mardi Gras Parades are Family-Friendly

Possibly the largest night parade crowd every year, despite it’s mid-week slot, is the Krewe of Muses. Riders in Muses are known for throwing hand decorated shoes from their floats. The Krewe spends months hand decorating old shoes. Sometimes, you won’t even recognize the shoe under all the glitter, paint and feathers. Some would argue that these shoes are the most “coveted” Mardi Gras throw by locals every year.

Because the Muses shoe has become so popular, the parade itself has become extremely crowded with rude parade-goers trying to do anything and everything to catch a shoe. Most people in New Orleans are  aware that if you know someone in a Mardi Gras Krewe, they will likely throw you something special. There are even women that attend Muses because they collect different shoes from friends riding each year. While in attendance, they eagerly anticipate a shoe to be “thrown” to them when their Krewe member friend floats by. In most instances, the Krewe member will try to lean over from the float to hand the shoe or custom throw to their friends.

Yet, strangers and other parade-goers will STILL go out of their way to try and grab it out of their hands. Not only does the friend who is supposed to get the shoe not get the shoe, but people get pushed, grabbed, thrown to the ground, scratched, climbed on, and more. It’s ugly. It’s immature. It makes going to this parade unenjoyable for many people. And, it is not family-friendly anymore.

Don’t Be One of Those People

In addition to Muses, the Krewe of Nyx throws handmade purses and the Krewe of Tucks throws handmade plungers and toilet brushes (yes). Again, you will most likely see people climbing all over each other to fight for one of these custom throws.

I promise that pushing the elderly, shoving the nearest person, throwing someone to the ground, fighting through crowds, and stepping on little kids will not make attending these parades enjoyable for anyone. Please remind yourself, your friends, and your family that these throws are just stuff that will be thrown away, set on a shelf, given away, or eventually lost (probably before you even get home from the parade).  Mardi Gras parades are supposed to be fun for everyone. If you are one of these people, you are not making it fun for anyone … specifically those that are patiently waiting for their custom throws.

#MakeMusesGreatAgain

I challenge you, your friends, and your family to remember that Mardi Gras parades are supposed to be fun. It isn’t as fun to catch a throw if it wasn’t thrown to you anyways. The joy of having a Krewe member toss a coveted throw your way is part of the fun at Mardi Gras. Fighting your way through a crowd of other people is just a fight; it takes the fun out of being the “chosen” person to catch a throw. If you plan to be drunk at these parades, or any parade for that matter, take a step back and let others have their fun too. There’s always another parade next year.