Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Baton Rouge has the best Carnival parade in the whole state
Posted by Kevin Allman on Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 5:27 AM
... or so claims this article in today's Chicago Tribune. (Big props to Clay of the Nola-dishu blog for finding it.) It's the Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade:
Gumbo and jambalaya won't be ready for hours. Right now, it's bloody marys, Cajun-spiced eggs and king cake, that deliciously gooey circular pastry in which a small baby figurine has been baked. Beads have yet to fly, but they will. It is the Saturday before Fat Tuesday, and 80 miles north of New Orleans, the best parade in the state is about to happen.
The best parade in the state? Is that a throwdown to New Orleans or what? I'm sure the Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade is very nice, but ... compared to Muses? Zulu? Rex? Krewe du Vieux?
This year's Spanish Town Mardi Gras Parade is Feb. 13. It has something to do with pink flamingos (the lawn decoration, not the movie). And the theme is "XXXpress It," but then there's an "Alcohol-Free Family Zone" (???).
Best parade in the state.
XXXpress It + "Family Zone."
These are English words, yes, but sense they do not make and confused am I. Help me here, Gambiteers in Baton Rouge. Do we need more flamingos at our Mardi Gras? More Les Miles? What are are we doing wrong in New Orleans?
Speaking of...
-
The Mardi Gras behavior press conference
Secret insider tip from City Hall: "Use common sense."
- Feb 8, 2012
-
Marching groups prepare for parade season
Carnival marching groups hold fundraisers to benefit their groups and area organizations.
- Jan 27, 2012
-
Phunny Phorty Phellows
- Jan 3, 2012
- More »
Comments (6)
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I must admit that the Spanish Town parade is pretty awesome, and the author does a good job of describing why. It's the whole scene that is so much fun and not just the parade itself. I don't know about any family zone though. Never seen that.
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From the husband: I blame Jefferson Parish. Family Gras was their big attempt to convince the country that Mardi Gras in New Orleans isn't for family, which is B.S. But JP isn't the most open of societies, either, due to its bigotry and superiority complex. So what's left for Mardi Gras? BATON ROUGE! All the same, I think a John Waters-themed parade IS long overdue. Think of what the floats would look like.
Sounds like fun, but it can't touch the Krewe Di Vieux, the Box of Wine, the Krewe of Drew, NOMTOC, Jewlu, 9th Ward Marching Band etc.
Sounds like fun, but it can't touch the Krewe Di Vieux, the Box of Wine, the Krewe of Drew, NOMTOC, Jewlu, 9th Ward Marching Band etc. and it sounds conspicuously Caucasian, no?
While I concur on the "fat family" bastardization of traditional Mardi Gras, I honestly don't think it has been around long enough (2 years?) to supplant what goes on in New Orleans proper right before lent. And for uber purists, Mobile can always lay claim to the premier Mardi Gras celebration in the states. I truly think that most out-of-towners with only cursory knowledge of carnival, associate Mardi Gras directly with the French Quarter, so that's not going anywhere anytime soon. I'll take New Orleans style parades, with the flambeaux, awesome bands, mystical floats and krewes, minus the damn LADDERS...
