A krewe is a private club that puts on a Carnival parade, a ball, or both. The word was coined in New Orleans in 1857 by the Mistick Krewe of Comus as a twist on "crew," and today it covers everything from century-old societies with secret members to a few dozen neighbors walking down the street in matching costumes.
Ask ten New Orleanians what a krewe is and you'll get ten answers, most of them involving a story about a float, a ball gown or a friend who rides and won't tell you which float. That's sort of the point. A krewe is a group of people who decided to make Carnival themselves instead of just watching it.
Where the Word Comes From
Before 1857, Mardi Gras in New Orleans was mostly street masking and private parties. That year a group of men formed the Mistick Krewe of Comus and staged the city's first organized parade. 64 Parishes credits Comus's founders with coining "krewe" as a variation of "crew," and notes they knew of a parading tradition in Mobile, Alabama. (Mobile will remind you about this. Often.)
The spelling stuck, and now it shows up on everything: krewe cups, krewe jackets, krewe group chats, and more than a few businesses around town.
A Very Short History of Krewes
Comus (1857) set the template: a secret membership, a mythological name, a themed parade and a ball.
Rex (1872) became the principal daytime parade and, per 64 Parishes, set purple, green and gold as Carnival's colors. Rex's king is still the King of Carnival.
Zulu grew out of a marching group John L. Metoyer reorganized in 1909, and was incorporated as the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club in 1916. Its members were shut out of the old-line krewes and built their own, coconuts and all. Zulu still rolls on Mardi Gras Day.
The early 1990s brought the ordinance that changed everything. Councilmember Dorothy Mae Taylor pushed the city to bar parading krewes from discriminating in membership, and Comus, Momus and Proteus stopped parading rather than comply. We wrote about Dorothy Mae Taylor and the fight if you want the full story.
The Kinds of Krewes
Old-line krewes
These are the oldest organizations, many with roots in the 1800s. Membership is often by invitation, often secret, and the balls are formal. Some still parade. Some only hold balls.
Superkrewes
64 Parishes lists Bacchus (1969), Endymion and Orpheus (1993) as the superkrewes. They're huge, and they often bring in celebrity monarchs from film, TV and music. Orpheus, the co-ed superkrewe Harry Connick Jr. helped found, rolls on Lundi Gras. Endymion takes over Mid-City the Saturday before Mardi Gras with what feels like half the city on the route.
Neighborhood and mid-size krewes
This is the big middle of Carnival. Krewes like Muses, Nyx, Tucks and dozens more each have their own personality and usually their own signature throw. Plenty of them were started in the last few decades by people who wanted a krewe that looked like them.
Walking krewes
No floats, no tractors. Walking krewes go on foot, and they're where a lot of the city's creativity lives. 64 Parishes names the Jefferson City Buzzards, Krewe du Vieux and the Box of Wine krewe. The Society of Saint Anne has walked from the Bywater through the Marigny and the French Quarter on Mardi Gras morning since 1969. The Krewe of Red Beans dresses in costumes made of beans, which we covered in Red Beans Parade.
Krewes that aren't really krewes
Every year someone starts a "krewe" that is really just eight friends with matching T-shirts. That counts too. We'd argue the Krewe of Chad counts, though maybe not in the way they'd like.
How You Actually Join a Krewe
This is the question new arrivals ask most, usually right after they catch the bug at their first parade.
The honest answer is that it depends on the krewe.
Old-line krewes are mostly invitation-only. You get asked, usually because you know someone. There's no application form online.
Superkrewes and mid-size parading krewes are usually open to new riders who apply. According to 64 Parishes, members carry the planning and the expense of the parade, and that's real money. Ask a krewe directly what membership and riding cost before you commit, because it varies a lot.
Walking krewes are often the easiest door in. Many recruit through friends and social media. Some ask you to make your own costume, which is part of the fun.
If you want in, the best move is to ask people. Your coworker who disappears every February knows somebody. So does the bartender. New Orleans runs on that kind of introduction.
Why Krewes Matter Beyond the Parade
Krewes do more than throw beads. Their parades keep float builders and marching bands working all season, and the members foot the bill. When you catch a cup, somebody paid for it.
That's the part visitors miss. Nobody puts on Mardi Gras for you. The city's citizens put it on for each other, and you're invited.
Wear the Colors
Whether you ride or watch, the season deserves the right outfit. Our Let Them Eat King Cake shirt is purple, which Rex would approve of, and the Marching Boots Pin is a nod to the dance troupes that march between the floats. For the person in your house tracking king cake intake, there's the King Cake Consumption Print.
New here? Our guide on what to do during Mardi Gras will help you figure out which krewes to see first.
What Is a Krewe: FAQ
What does krewe mean?
A krewe is a club that organizes a Carnival parade, ball or both. The word was coined by the Mistick Krewe of Comus in 1857 as a variation of "crew."
What was the first krewe in New Orleans?
The Mistick Krewe of Comus, which staged the city's first organized Carnival parade in 1857. Rex followed in 1872 and established purple, green and gold as the colors of Carnival.
How do you join a Mardi Gras krewe?
It depends on the krewe. Old-line krewes are mostly invitation-only, while many parading and walking krewes take new members who apply. Costs vary, so ask the krewe directly. Asking people you know is still the best way in.
Leave a comment
All comments are moderated before being published.
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.