FRERET TO PARADE IN 2014
Posted: June 06, 2013

According to a press release issued by the club today, the new Krewe of Freret, pending City Council approval, will parade in New Orleans on Saturday, February 22, 2014. This addition to the first weekend's Carnival parade line-up in New Orleans now means that ten parades will travel the St. Charles Avenue route on the first weekend of the parade season. Competition for marching bands will be keen that weekend with four parades in Metairie, and one each on the west bank, in Mandeville, in St. Bernard, in Covington, and in Slidell. Attendance at Metairie's Family Gras could also be impacted since parade goers can now see five parades back-to-back in Orleans on Saturday while only Caesar rolls in Metairie. Some discussion has taken place in Jefferson Parish about moving the second weekend's three parades to the first weekend, which would make for an even heavier schedule.

The 2014 parade schedule features more Mardi Gras parades on the first weekend (20) than on the weekend before Fat Tuesday (15).

MARDI GRAS NEWS
Posted: June 03, 2013

The KREWE OF ALLA made official Sunday night what had been expected for some time-it will move its parade in 2014 from the West Bank to uptown New Orleans.

Alla had been a fixture on the West Bank since 1933. The krewe's press release stated:

"After considerable discussion and review of Alla's financial situation and its inability to attract new members, the board of directors has elected to move its parade to New Orleans' uptown route, where its members will ride on Sunday, February 23, 2014, at 1:00 p.m. Alla thanks NOPD and the City of New Orleans for accommodating the move."

Alla will follow the CARROLLTON and KING ARTHUR parades on the first Sunday of the parade season. Meanwhile, the KREWE OF CHOCTAW's one-year excursion to the East Bank was made permanent by city officials. The club, which paraded on the West Bank from 1939-2012, will again follow the Krewe of Pontchartrain on the uptown route on Saturday, February 22, 2014. Coupled with the KREWE OF CLEOPATRA's 2013 move to the uptown route, the West Bank is now left with only three parades-Adonis, Grela and NOMTOC. In 1994, eleven parades rolled on the West Bank-Choctaw, Cleopatra, Elks Gretna, Grela, King Arthur, Marc Antony, Nefertari, NOMTOC, Poseidon and Ulysses.

No word on the status of the new KREWE OF FRERET, which hopes to parade in New Orleans on the uptown route.

Longtime NOPD parade coordinator Lieutenant Joseph Valiente has officially retired from his duties. Joe was a true friend of Mardi Gras. He will be missed.

METAIRIE MARDI GRAS

The parade schedule in Metairie is very much in the air for 2014, with some parish officials suggesting that money can be saved and crowds enhanced by moving the second weekend's parades to the first. Logistical problems with floats and bands availability may nix this proposal.

Thanks to the objections of many residents and businesses in the area, the plan to move some parades to Metairie Road is dead. Other route change options remain on the table. Meanwhile, a new krewe has applied for a permit to parade in Metairie in 2014.

Stay tuned.

Military Mardi Gras Ball
Posted: April 30, 2013

In honor of Military Appreciation Month (May), NOLA Patriots will be hosting a Mid Year Military Mardi Gras Ball on Friday, May 17, 2013 at 6:30 pm. The event is a FORMAL (preferred, semi-formal accepted) OR masquerade attire event with a cocktail/social hour beginning at 6:30 pm, followed by dinner at 7:30 (sit down service) and music/dancing after. A King and Queen will be crowned for the event. The venue is at the New Orleans Ladies Ballroom, 1771 Stumpf Blvd., Terrytown, LA 70056 and is open to our active/reserve/guard/ retired etc service members. PLEASE RSVP to info@nolapatriots.org as seating is limited. This event is FREE for our military members.