Olympia Makes A Triumphant Return

by Maggie Bokobza

AFTER A LONG, TWO-YEAR WAIT, The Mystic Krewe of Olympia made its triumphant return. Zeus, his queen and their court waited patiently and were finally able to participate in the revelry of carnival season. Both the ball, held at the Castine Center in Mandeville, and the parade through downtown Covington were a huge success for the krewe members, who have not experienced anything like the last two years in their 56-year history. The krewe and court were devastated by the cancelation of the 2021 ball and parade, and even after reworking to a smaller event, a surge of COVID meant that they could no longer move forward. On the day of the canceled parade, the captain sent out a request to the krewe that everyone toast Zeus from home, since people were still not gathering at the time.

The krewe normally does a summer “court call,” where members of the board of directors, clad in blue seersucker suits, white bucks and Olympia ties, call on the young ladies who will be members of the following year’s court. This year, the members of the court had already been given scrolls for the 2021 ball ahead of the cancellation, so the krewe held a second event in December to present them new scrolls with the correct date.

“I suspect that the court members will put the ‘old’ scrolls behind the ‘new’ scrolls in frames, which will one day be an interesting find for their future families,” says the captain.

The afternoon of the ball, the queen’s family traditionally hosts an intimate gathering at the Tchefuncta Country Club, where her identity is finally revealed. This year, the queen decided to even keep the secret from her own siblings, who were delighted to discover the news at the toast! Family and friends of the court toasted her majesty, the five maids, 12 ladies-in-waiting and three pages of this year’s court.

Reigning as queen this year was Hope Caroline Robinson, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. James Michael Robinson. Her Majesty is a sophomore at Louisiana State University majoring in social work with plans to attend graduate school. She is a graduate of Saint Scholastica Academy (Class of 2020) and is active in her sorority, Delta Gamma. Her regal ensemble included a vintage Suzanne Perron St. Paul design featuring a trumpet silhouette of Italian silk satin layered with beaded tulle and fringed lamé. Highlighting the bodice was an elaborate pattern of lace heavily encrusted with silver, crystal and pearl beading.

“Reigning as the 56th queen of the Mystic Krewe of Olympia is such an honor and has truly been an amazing and unforgettable experience,” says Hope, “I have always absolutely loved Mardi Gras and cannot think of a better way to celebrate the season than reigning as queen in one of my favorite parades! Thank you so much to everyone who made this possible.”

The ball took place at the Castine Center at Pelican Park in Mandeville, with 800 guests in attendance. Helping to celebrate, the 31 members of the Marine Forces Reserve Band, led by Drum Major Sgt. Patrick Box, performed a rousing rendition of the National Anthem, among other songs. As is krewe tradition, a wounded warrior was honored for his service. This year’s honoree was Mr. Lane A. Carson of Covington, a distinguished veteran of the Vietnam War, who was presented with a gift from the krewe. ELS performed following the procession of the court, and a late supper was served by The Dakota Restaurant. The energy was high and lively among the guests as the krewe was finally back together.

This year’s parade rolled through the streets of downtown with the theme, “Olympia: Been Masking Up for 56 Years.” As the only nighttime parade in Covington, this year’s 290 riders threw a plethora of Olympia-themed throws, including large doubloons, sliver laurel wreaths, LED lightning bolts, and new 26” pearl beads with the gold Olympia crest.