I was going to watch from our balcony, but decided to come down to the street to watch the Krewe du Vieux. They’re the only parade that goes through the Quarter, and what’s really neat is that the floats (which are *very* crafty and not ultra-put-together like the big krewes have) are pulled by mules – the last krewe to not go mechanical – which is part of why they can go through the Quarter.
To some people, this is a more authentic experience because in the large krewes, the float is built professionally, and members may be given their costumes and in some cases their throws.
In this krewe, everything is done by the members – from float design and construction, creating unique throws, coming up with costumes, etc. It really is the ‘crafty’ krewe!
Another thing that makes it different is that so many of the floats have satirical political themes – like this year, the theme was “Habitat for Insanity”:
