around the port

CARNIVAL ON THE RIVER

BY MISTY MILIOTO

Mardi Gras celebrations extend beyond New Orleans thanks to local Krewes in the River Parishes.

When you think of Mardi Gras, you might imagine the packed streets of the New Orleans French Quarter, but this pre-Lenten celebration has a rich history across South Louisiana, with varying traditions and cultures between parishes. In fact, the River Region has established its own set of unique Carnival customs and homegrown Krewes, each with its own history and local impact on the community.

KREWE OF LUL Celebrating its 45th anniversary this year in St. Charles Parish, the Krewe of Lul first started parading through the streets of Luling in 1978 with a focus on family fun. “Whether watching along the route or riding on a float, it is a day of fun and merriment for families and friends to gather and spend time together cooking, eating, drinking and having a good time,” says Debbie Dufresne Vial, captain with the Krewe of Lul.

As a much-anticipated event for the parish, the return of the parade this year represented a touch of normalcy after a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s an event that everyone looks forward to annually,” Dufresne Vial says. “The Hahnville High School band, cheerleaders, dance team, and ROTC members participate, and their families cheer for them along the parade route. St. Charles Hospital does a peanut butter collection along the route, where locals can donate peanut butter, thereby providing a much-needed resource for the local food pantry at Social Concerns. Additionally, the ARC of St. Charles has the final truck in the parade lineup. Parade-goers can throw their beads back for the ARC to sort through and package for sale.”

Historically, the Krewe of Lul has given back to the local St. Charles Parish community via donations to the Hahnville High School band. Last year, even when the parade was cancelled due to the pandemic, the Krewe still contributed to Social

Krewe of Dagé

Concerns so they could purchase peanut butter for the food bank.

In addition to the Hahnville High School band, cheerleaders, dance team, and ROTC members, the 2022 Krewe of Lul parade featured 21 floats; other dance teams; Luling, Killona and Paradis fire trucks; local festival queens; local officials (such as Sheriff Greg Champagne and Parish President Matt Jewell); and a horse-riding club for a total of 61 units. Traditionally, the royalty of the parade throw commemorative items and some of the floats also dole out novelty items associated with their decorative theme.

The 2022 parade King and Queen, Russell and Angell Diggs, threw magnets and second-line handkerchiefs.

Krewe of Lul Krewe of Lul

Meanwhile, the Grand Marshal, Fay “Liza” Landry Caire, threw a commemorative scroll featuring drawings by local artist Peyton Dufrene depicting the original Landry Lumber Yard Building (a family business located along the route), the original Hahnville High School, and the First Union Presbyterian Church (of which Dufrene is a parishioner). The Parade Chaplain, Father Anthony Odiong of St. Anthony Catholic Church, passed out a commemorative bookmark depicting the Our Lady of Guadalupe Healing Chapel with a rosary and a rose in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Additionally, some floats had commemorative cups with their float theme, “Hurricane Ida Survivor” keychains, “St. Charles Parish Strong” handkerchiefs and koozies.

KREWE OF DAGÉ Founded in August 2018 by a group of ladies who felt they could enhance the Mardi Gras tradition in St. John the Baptist Parish, the Krewe of Dagé consists of only 13 members. However, while it may be small in numbers, the Krewe is big on improving education in the local community. “We have given scholarships and spoken to kids about the Mardi Gras tradition, and we hope to become more embedded in the education of our children,” says Krewe Member, Jean Stewart.

The all-women, AfricanAmerican group of members come from different ages and walks of life, and most have children and grandchildren who were raised in the River Parishes. “All members believe that ‘It takes a village’ for all children,” Stewart says. “The Krewe of Dagé represents hope and perseverance to the community. Not only have we come back from COVID, but our community was devastated by Hurricane Ida. St. John the Baptist Parish will be made whole again.”

Rolling in the LaPlace parade, the Krewe of Dagé typically consists of about 39 floats. However, this year, it had only 22 floats. “It was significantly down this year because of Hurricane Ida,” Stewart says. “Many of our residents are still displaced because of the storm.”

While the theme changes each year, the Krewe’s signature throw stays the same: a decorated apple to represent the Krewe’s focus on education. “Currently, besides the yearly scholarships, we are a community partner with the schools,” Stewart says. “We give recognition to individuals who work in the school system by naming a Grand Marshall each year. This year’s Grand Marshall is Tyra Duhe-Griffin, an educator at LaPlace Elementary School and a Councilwoman for District 4 in St. John the Baptist Parish.”

The Krewe of Dagé did not host a ball this year due to Hurricane Ida, but one is planned for next year. “Dr. Brittani Breaux is our current queen until a new queen is crowned next year,” Stewart says. “We would like for anyone interested in participating in the

Krewe of Lul

St. John Parish President Jaclyn Hotard and Krewe of Tohwahpahsah Miss Andouille Amber Theisges Krewe of Dagé

2023 ball and parade to contact us on Facebook or by email at keweofdage@yahoo.com.”

KREWE OF TOHWAHPAHSAH Another Krewe in St. John the Baptist Parish is the Krewe of Tohwahpahsah. Local bar owner Lawrence “Noonie” Triche founded the Krewe in 1984 so that parishioners in Reserve could enjoy Mardi Gras without having to travel to New Orleans. “With help from family and friends, Triche worked diligently to see the first Krewe of Tohwahpahsah parade roll through the streets of Reserve,” says Melanie Stein.

“The parade was always so easy to be in that if you decided the morning of that you wanted to participate, you could show up in your pickup truck, four-wheeler, boat, car, horse or anything you could think of to ride in,” Stein adds. “Three years ago, we became a nonprofit organization in order to roll, which requires us to pay for insurance. We meet that requirement each year with the help of our sponsors and yearround fundraisers (including football pools, raffles for sacks of crawfish and much more).”

Today, “Noonie’s” daughters,

Krewe of MAC

Frances Triche Sullivan and Nikki Triche LeBoeuf, along with the help of family and friends, have taken the reigns to ensure the parade continues to roll. “We need the community’s help to participate in the parade so it can grow bigger and better each year,” Stein says. “We are asking you to register floats, cars, trucks, antique cars, show vehicles, bands, marching groups, dance teams, school groups (drama clubs, cheerleaders, bands, dance teams, etc.) and pageant kings and queens four years of age and older. The entry fee is $25 for cars and $50 for floats, trucks and trailers.”

Typically, the Krewe of Tohwahpahsah consists of 10 floats (and 30 units total, consisting of queens from local pageants, Parish officials and a couple of marching groups). Each float has its own theme and may have an item related to that theme as a signature throw. While there is no formal ball, the Krewe does choose a king and queen based on participation in past years.

The Krewe of Tohwahpahsah has become a Mardi Gras tradition for St. John the Baptist Parish, and especially for the town of Reserve. “Families gather along the route and have large parties, which results in a positive economic impact for the community,” Stein says. “We welcome everyone to come out and enjoy the parade. We are also always looking to expand our parade, and we invite anyone interested to contact us on our Facebook page or to email tohwahpahsah@yahoo.com.”

KREWE OF MAC, ST. JAMES PARISH Founded in 2016 by a group of St. James Parish residents, the Krewe of MAC started off with 16 members who were all interested in promoting fellowship, contributing to the civic good, encouraging charity, and celebrating the spirit of Mardi Gras. Today, the parade brings thousands of spectators to Lutcher and Gramercy.

While the Krewe of MAC rolled as a solely car and truck parade this year, it typically also features at least eight floats. The theme for this year’s parade was “Mardi Gras on the River,” due to the ball being held on the Louis Armstrong Riverboat in New Orleans. However, the Krewe of MAC did not have a court this year due to COVID.

According to director Nykisha Franklin, the Krewe’s mission is to uplift the community— specifically making a difference in the lives of local youth— through various endeavors. For example, the Krewe of MAC awards $500 scholarships to four high school students annually. The Krewe also honors local Black historians in the community with a dedicated brunch. Other efforts include sponsoring giveaways for Easter and conducting an annual litter pickup throughout the community. •