The Muses parade marked the beginning of the celebration in New Orleans for Mardi Gras.
The unofficial kickoff to the popular festival happened on Friday. Celebrities will gather in the City and several colorful parades are scheduled to follow. Revelers will crowd while parades like Endymion, Bacchus, and Orpheus stream through the city. The 14-year-old Muses parade, one of the city's youngest, announced the beginning of festivities leading up to Fat Tuesday.
In the kickoff parade, the Muses continued a tradition of carrying flambeaux while parading through the streets. According to the Associated Press, Lloyd Hickman, a New Orleans flambeaux carrier said, "It's exciting, to have these beautiful ladies walking with us. It's Mardi Gras. It's all good. Everybody gets to kind of do their own thing."
On Saturday morning, The Krewe of Iris, New Orleans’ oldest women’s Carnival organization, led their parade. The theme was “Iris Rocks.” The grand marshal was “And the Ball and All.” The Krewe of Tucks parade, followed, according to Nola.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
