The news is filled with stories of international and domestic strife. Diets have been abandoned for comfort food and New Orleanians are doing what we do best – talking about Mardi Gras.
We are officially at the halfway point for Mardi Gras 2018 and this Saturday, Aug. 19, brings the Krewe of O.A.K. Mid-Summer Mardi Gras Parade. The foot parade rolls from the Maple Leaf Bar at 7:30 p.m.
This annual parade is the highlight of the summer for many. Mid-Summer Mardi Gras is known for being cheeky, bordering on lewd, and this year’s theme doesn’t disappoint. The Krewe of O.A.K.’s 31st parade is called "Dirty One XXXI Coming In Hot." The logo depicts a rainbow-colored unicorn riding a missile in front of a solar eclipse. To put it daintily, the missile looks less like a weapon of mass destruction and more like a… It’s no surprise the Krewe’s name represents not only the street on which the Maple Leaf Bar is located, but also “Outrageous And Kinky.”
With the theme, so go the costumes. Don’t be surprised to see a lot of people in their underwear. And with the Uptown parade coinciding with the beginning of the school year, expect to see a lot of shocked Tulane and Loyola freshman onlookers.
The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus will bring their science fiction spin to the parade, and dance groups including the Muff-A-Lottas, Tap Dat and The Organ Grinders will perform along the route. The 2017 Queen is Stacy Morigeau and King Robustus XXXI is Doug Trager.
The parade route begins at the Maple Leaf Bar at 8316 Oak St. and will march up Carrollton Avenue to Palmer Park. A short acoustic performance is planned, and then the revelers will return to Oak Street around 9:00 p.m. The Maple Leaf is closed for a private party. La Casita Taqueria, located at 8400 Oak St., is hosting the official Mid-Summer Mardi Gras after-party, featuring delicious tacos and DJ Soul Sister spinning a set from 10:00 p.m. to midnight.
For people planning to come out to the parade, there are a few rules the organizers ask you follow:
- No glass on the parade route or in the street.
- No fake (or real) guns or weapons.
- Please stay off the neutral ground and streetcar tracks.
- Please enter and exit Palmer Park through the lighted main entrance.
- Please leave the park when the parade leaves.
Here are a few of my suggestions:
- Ride your bike, take public transportation or use a cab/ride service.
- Wear a costume. Don’t have one? Wear underwear and body paint.
- Enjoy yourself, but know your limits.
- Drink a lot of water. It’s hot out there.
- Dance.
- Be kind.
