Informal Parades

Some of the best parts of Mardi Gras aren't scripted. The parades are fantastic but Mardi Gras is as much an informal celebration as one that is planned. I could write an entire book on the sites one sees carnival day, the things one runs into when on the streets, the spirit that overwhelms a celebrant. But I will spare you that and focus on one of those informal aspects of Mardi Gras day- the costume parades along the streets of New Orleans.
The times I ventured into the heart of the city on Mardi Gras Day to see the costumes were some of the best Mardi Gras moments I spent. I remember the first time I happened to bump into the Mardi Gras Indians. These men and women aren't really Indians. They are a series of neighborhood groups, mostly black, that parade every Mardi Gras Day in elaborate feathered costumes that the wearers spend literally all year sewing.
The Mardi Gras Indians form krewes named for imaginary Indian tribes that battle each other, not with violence, but with an informal costume contest. Anyone can watch, at long range or within the Indians themselves, as the "Indians" (descendants of African slaves) pay respect to the local Indian tribes who gave runaway slaves safe haven when they broke for freedom.
It's fascinating to see the gorgeous costumes and to see the "Big Chief" (leader) of competing Indian tribes bow to each other and then whoop, sing, dance and strut their costumes. There is a general area of the city in which they prance Mardi Gras Day, but because so much of the Mardi Gras Indian neighborhoods were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and the Indians relocated to other areas of the U.S., one has to look harder to find them than in pre Katrina Mardi Gras celebrations.
A second informal costume parade that I like to see on carnival day is the Society of St. Anne Parade. This one is a bizarre, racy horde of people who show up each year in the most unusual and creative costumes imaginable. It is essentially an roving band of about 500 or so maskers who gather across Cafe Brazil on Frenchman Street. Years ago I used to frequent Cafe Brazil (a New Orleans style and Latin music cafe) with a friend a number of times a year, just so we could "watch the crazies" (or maybe they were watching crazy Jim?) who seemed to be attracted to the place. Thus, the creative and laid back person is as likely as the lawyer or business man or housewife to parade in the Society of St. Anne Parade. No one knows the route the Society takes (parade permits for costumes marching groups are not necessary on Mardi Gras day {people just march where ever they wish), but they usually wind up back at Cafe Brazil and turn the whole block into a post parade open-air, day long costume party of drink, music , food and craziness.
Then there is a informal costume group that is a favorite if mine and every other New Orleanians I know. It's the French Quarter gay costume parade. This is a spectacular lesson in tolerance and diversity, an incredible sauntering all day and night Mardi Gras Day, of drag Queens, fetish (whips included) fantasies, hairy legged men in dresses, satirical looks at being gay and answering gay haters, newly nude, lewd and....well briefly when police aren't looking..nude costumes.
It is not a display for children or the straight laced crowd to see, and every year there are Christian groups marching in the same area in protest of the "sinful" ways of the gay costumes. (Picture of a protester is below) No one ever seems to be upset with each other (I did say that New Orleans is a very tolerant place) and the most heard sound when one watches all of this is laughter. In the afternoon many of the gay costumers head for a formal contest called the Bourbon Street Awards in which they display their costumes for awards (which are mostly for the ego, I think). But it is so crowded and so popular that it is hard to see.
There are a number of other costuming groups and the regular family and individual costumes worn Mardi Gras Day...but you are already cursing the Mardi Gras Gods for my writing to much today. So I will just wish you a Happy Mardi Gras 2007 and stop now.