This is how we roll in South Louisiana

Carnival in South Louisiana and outlying regions such as the Mississippi Gulf Coast and Mobile is made up of many “krewes” that host Carnival balls and parades, all leading up to the big day of Mardi Gras, which this year (2018) is Tuesday, Feb. 13. For those watching this revelry on TV it might appear as decadent chaos but underneath the fun it’s highly organized and doesn't change too much from year to year.

But occasionally, Carnival fun arises organically, groups that come together to fill an open spot for a parade, for instance, or to create an event in a non-utilized part of town. Take the Krewe de Canailles, for instance, in Lafayette, Louisiana, a town that has a regular parade schedule on streets bounded by barricades for safety reasons. People in Lafayette hate these barricades because they screw up traffic the rest of the time. The Krewe de Canailles formed as a non-profit group made up of “sub-krewes” to parade along streets without barricades and to fill an empty spot on the Friday before Mardi Gras.

 

Lost Bayou Ramblers

The word in Cajun French means “mischievous, tricky, shrewd,” a perfect description for a group of about 200 people in mocking costumes walking through town, throwing beads and other craziness to onlookers. The krewe parades for the first time this year on Friday, Feb. 9, beginning at 7 p.m. at the downtown Lafayette archway. New Natives Brass Band leads the parade as it travels the length of downtown’s Jefferson Street, through the historic Freetown-Port Rico neighborhood and ends with a party — of course — at an event space called Warehouse 535 where the Lost Bayou Ramblers will perform, a band that just won a Grammy for “Best Regional Roots Album.”

Costumes are expected to be unique with tongue-in-cheek nods to local celebrities and the like with unusual but sustainable and handmade throws and wooden doubloons. Spectators are encouraged to bring flashlights, costumes and noisemakers to the parade route.

Want to learn more? Check out this local newscast featuring the krewe's organizers. 

Weird, Wacky and Wild South is written by travel and food writer Chere Dastugue Coen who loves a wild and unusual Mardi Gras parade.