Mardi Gras in New Orleans (big photo gallery)

A mask of a member of the Mondo Kayo Social and Marching Club is seen as they march down St. Charles Avenue on Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans, Louisiana March 8, 2011. (photos: REUTERS/Sean Gardner)

Members of the Mondo Kayo Social and Marching Club march down St. Charles Avenue on Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans, Louisiana March 8, 2011.

Members of the Krewe of Zulu march down St. Charles Avenue on Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans, Louisiana March 8, 2011.

Members of the Krewe of Bacchus parade down St. Charles Avenue the weekend before Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans, Louisiana March 6, 2011.

Members of the Krewe of Zulu march down St. Charles Avenue on Mardi Gras Day in New Orleans, Louisiana March 8, 2011.

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

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Anonymous

The bolivians living in Sao Paolo, Brazil have her carnival too.

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/panopticosp/sets/72157626194327888/
DownInNOLA

This was the 29th anniversary of the Mondo Kayo Social and Marching Club, founded in 1982. The group uses colorful costumes and Caribbean and African recorded music to the northernmost Banana Republic, New Orleans. We’re one of the five groups with a permit to march, a limit under the city home rule charter. Our route starts at Magazine and Third Streets at 7:30 am, goes to St. Charles and follows Pete Fountain’s Half-Fast Marching Club down to Canal St. The group then heads to Jackson Square and the Marigny, at Chartres and Frenchmen Streets. More at http://www.mondokayo.com. Additional photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/witty_name/sets/72157626113038363/.
Nytespryte

I am still trying to figure out how we missed Chewbaccus. I thought it was between Thoth and Bacchus, and I thought it went by where we were in the route, but it never showed.

Krewe de Noir was fun though. (Really informal goth walking parade.) The theme this year was supernatural disasters. Someone came as Jesus and the Jesus jokes where a mile a minute. One of my friends wore his “Cthulhu campaigning for President” costume.
Sam

Apparently there was some kind of scheduling issue because of Endymion, and the po-po wanted Chewbaccus to roll earlier than planned to avoid the throngs of SUPER-MEGA-PARADE-goers. This wasn’t communicated effectively, however and the decision was made to stick with the planned roll-out time. So when they left (even later than originally planned), the cops couldn’t wade through the crowds effectively because there were just too many people present to get them to move and they had to change routes up.

This is all second hand, BTW. I’ve got a broken leg and was hoping to avoid the crowd by taking it easy at Zeitgeist and letting the parade come to me, but the wookies never came and I missed it altogether. Sad face.
Anonymous

Rode on a float for Bacchus this year.. was my first time, what a great time..
Anonymous

laissez les bon temps roulez!
drkptt

Arrrgghh, wish I was there! I’ve marched with Mondo Kayo twice and it’s the experience of a lifetime. It’s tough getting out on the street at 7:30 am on MG day, but it’s a blast stopping at the mayor’s reviewing stand and toasting the ‘Northernmost Banana Republic’ with him.

Six miles of dancing in the streets, then hurry through the Quarter and hook up with the Krewe of Cosmic Debris and do it some more!
- Anonymous
  
  This year we were not allowed to toast. A VERY RUDE police Major and commander by the Gallier hall reviewing stand told us to move on or he would toss Mondo Kayo off the parade route which hey ricket scientist we only had 6 more blocks to go.
  
  His statement was Chief Serpas did not want to wait for us as Zulu was ready to toast. They were not even right behind us.
  
  THEY WERE BOTH EXTREMELY RUDE AND DIDN’T GIVE MONDO EVEN ONE WORD AS TO OUR TRADITION OF TOASTING THE MAYORS REPRESENTATIVE AS WE HAVE FOR OVER 2O YEARS. RUMOR WAS MAYOR LANDRIEU WAS ALSO WITH THE POLICE CHIEF.
Egypt Urnash

How about some video of yesterday’s first-ever parade of the Krewe of Chewbaccus? Laissez les nerdery rouler.
Meadslosh

Krewe of Chewbacchus member reporting in. Had a great time.

Photos: http://s180.photobucket.com/albums/x157/Cranglesmack/Chewbacchus%202011/

Funny, I work in a coffee shop and I served someone today who reminded me very much of Xeni, though she had short black hair. I didn’t realize Xeni was actually in town.