Froggy Gras 2005, part 1
I'm going to do my Carnival 2005 pix in chronological order. First is a typical daytime Uptown parade: Knights of King Arthur parade. This is probably the batch of least interest to New Orleans Carnival veterans, but gives out of towners a good example of the "standard" parades not known for any special artistic or satrical merit.
Sunday January 30th, two Sundays before Mardi Gras, three daytime parades in a row go down Napoleon Avenue and St. Charles Avenue in Uptown New Orleans: "Carrollton" (which alas has not paraded in the Carrollton neighborhood for decades, as the city has pushed almost all but the smallest neighborhood parades to central routes), followed by "The Knights of King Arthur" and "The Bards of Bohemia". These are pretty much your standard New Orleans parades, but I had my little Kermit the Frog camera in my pocket, so here are a few pix of the middle of those three.
Many "midrange" Krewes rent their floats from local float companies which customize them for given parades using lots of stock parts. "Yada Yada Around the World" is one of the most common themes; King Arthur's variation on it was "Arthur's Ancient Atlas".
The front of each float usually features a large bust, though not always in both senses.
This float was excellent, as the Paulin Brothers band was playing on top, and I was thrown lots of goodies including a cute stuffed frog doll.
Here come the Vikings!
Yell "Throw me something, Mister" and you might get beads
or plastic cups. Thank you, furious Norsemen!
Yay, this tractor is pulling a pre-Columbian civilization of MesoAmerica!
Throw me a still beating heart, Chac Mool!
Musicians with the Bone Tone Brass Band watching King Arthur parade while waiting for Bards which they're marching in.
Sunday January 30th, two Sundays before Mardi Gras, three daytime parades in a row go down Napoleon Avenue and St. Charles Avenue in Uptown New Orleans: "Carrollton" (which alas has not paraded in the Carrollton neighborhood for decades, as the city has pushed almost all but the smallest neighborhood parades to central routes), followed by "The Knights of King Arthur" and "The Bards of Bohemia". These are pretty much your standard New Orleans parades, but I had my little Kermit the Frog camera in my pocket, so here are a few pix of the middle of those three.
Many "midrange" Krewes rent their floats from local float companies which customize them for given parades using lots of stock parts. "Yada Yada Around the World" is one of the most common themes; King Arthur's variation on it was "Arthur's Ancient Atlas".
The front of each float usually features a large bust, though not always in both senses.
This float was excellent, as the Paulin Brothers band was playing on top, and I was thrown lots of goodies including a cute stuffed frog doll.
Here come the Vikings!
Yell "Throw me something, Mister" and you might get beads
or plastic cups. Thank you, furious Norsemen!
Yay, this tractor is pulling a pre-Columbian civilization of MesoAmerica!
Throw me a still beating heart, Chac Mool!
Musicians with the Bone Tone Brass Band watching King Arthur parade while waiting for Bards which they're marching in.