MARDI GRAS at THE CHLOE
Join us as over 20 parades pass directly by The Chloe on St. Charles Avenue. We’re serving as Carnival Central with food and beverage bars on our Front Lawn open to the public, plus advanced reservations for parade viewing from our patio, pre-parade parties on the 16th, 17th, and 19th, and wristband access indoors. Tickets are available through Resy.
Tuesday, February 21st Uptown parades start at 8AM.
Click into each Krewe below to learn more about their history.
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Early in 1909, a group of laborers in a club named “The Tramps” went to the Pythian Theater to see a musical comedy that included a skit entitled, "There Never Was and Never Will Be a King Like Me" about the Zulu Tribe. According to legend, after seeing the skit, they retired to their meeting place (a room in the rear of a restaurant/bar in the 1100 block of Perdido Street), and emerged as Zulus. The rest, as they say, is history. Years of extensive research by Zulu's staff of historians, however, seem to indicate that Zulu's beginning was much more complicated than that.
Conversations and interviews with older members indicate that, back in the day, the city was divided into wards, and each ward had its own group or “Club.” The Tramps were one such group. The group that founded Zulu was probably made up of both members from the Tramps and other ward-based groups and members of a Benevolent Aid Society. Benevolent Societies were the first forms of insurance in the Black community. For a small amount of dues, members received financial help when they got sick or there was a funeral to pay for.
While the men marched in Mardi Gras as early as 1901, their first appearance as Zulus came in 1909, with William Story as King. The group wore raggedy pants, and had a Jubilee-singing quartet in front of and behind King Story. His costume of "lard can" crown and "banana stalk" scepter has been well-documented. The Kings following William Story in the early days were similarly attired.
The year 1915 heralded the first use of floats, constructed on a spring wagon, using dry good boxes. The float was decorated with palmetto leaves and moss and carried four Dukes along with the King. That humble beginning gave rise to the lavish floats we see in the Zulu parade today.
Today Zulu is famous for their coconut throw – quite possibly the most coveted throw in all of Mardi Gras. Zulu’s honor guard is called the Soulful Warriors; and they have characters including Big Shot, Witch Doctor, Ambassador, Mayor, Province Prince, Governor and Mr. Big Stuff.
The most famous Krewe of Zulu king was Louis Armstrong who reigned in 1949.
• Year founded: 1909
• Membership: 1500 male riders
• Signature throw: Hand-decorated coconuts -
The Krewe of Elks Orleans follows Rex down St. Charles Ave with 50 individually designed truck floats carrying 4,500 male and female riders (families).
Founded in 1935, the Krewe of Elks Orleans is the oldest and largest of all the truck float krewes.
• Year founded: 1935
• Membership: 4,500 male and female riders (families)
• Number of floats: 120 trucks -
2023 Theme: Palio Di Siena
With his grand traditions, rich and colorful themes, elaborate costumes and hand-painted floats, Rex is the King of Carnival.
Rex, officially the School of Design, has held more parades than any other organization. They are the origin of many Mardi Gras traditions, including the official Carnival colors of purple, green and gold, as well as the collectible doubloon coins (introduced by Rex in 1960). The Krewe consists of 600 male riders and parades on the New Orleans Uptown route on Mardi Gras day, immediately after Zulu.
Founded in 1872, the Krewe of Rex is one of the oldest participating groups in Mardi Gras. They formed in a New Orleans still recovering from the Civil War as a way to entice tourists to visit the city and businesses to put down roots in the community. The city’s businessman originally organized Rex to put on a spectacle for the visiting of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia. The krewe’s official song – "If Ever I Cease to Love" – is heard throughout New Orleans in the Mardi Gras season. It is a tune that some would describe as quirky, a song from an 1870’s musical called "Bluebeard." The story goes that the song was adopted because the Grand Duke Alexis had a fondness for the actress who sang the song in the musical which was playing at the time of his visit to New Orleans.
Every year, one member of the Rex organization is selected to be Rex, the monarch of the krewe for the year. (He’s often called King Rex, but his correct title is just “Rex.”) Rex is always an influential resident involved in a multiple civic causes and philanthropic pursuits. Rex’s identity is kept secret until Lundi Gras, the day before Mardi Gras. Traditionally, the mayor hands Rex a symbolic key to the city.
• Year founded: 1872
• Membership: 440 male riders
• Number of floats: 26 floats -
Founded in 1947, the city’s second-oldest truck parade has over 2,500 male and female riders. While the krewe sets no overall theme, each truck represents a different Carnival organization with its own title and theme. The Krewe of Crescent City follows the Krewe of Elks-Orleans and is the last truck parade in the Orleans Parish. The krewe signals the official "beginning of the end" of Carnival.
• Year founded: 1947
• Membership: 2,500 male and female riders
• Number of floats: 65 trucks
