Krewe of Orpheus

Orpheus on Lundi Gras. Such an amazing experience. Maybe I'm a little reminiscent during COVID-19, but wowowowowowo was this parade so fun. The floats were absolutely beautiful and although they had to break up their iconic train float, it was still impressive this year. This was my first year seeing it and it was an absolute blast. Loved the throws but damn were the floats on their A-game. These are definitely well curated and thought out.Until next year!

What a parade that I haven't reviewed?! How is that possible. I like that this parade is coed and has some really random celebrities so that you can try to remember who they are when you're already carnival-ed out and your brain is sloooowwww. The flowers were really pretty this year. And the throws seemed to be plentiful, except that I didn't see any Leviathan stuffed animals thrown near me. Those are my favorite.I had planned to head home after Proteus since I was tired and had an early morning planned on Mardi Gras but the parade (and my friends) was engaging enough to keep me until the firetruck rolled by.

I love NOLA, this city is so magical and so is it people. Everyone is out and about having an amazing time. I'm so proud to be apart of this Louisianain tradition. Let the good times roll Tee,.

I've been in and seen many Mardi Gras parades, but krewe's was by far my favorite parde. The floats were elaborate and illustrious... all very eye-catching. I kept on hearing before seeing it that it would be the most beautiful of all the parades. This year in particular, it drew our attention because (Breaking Bad main star) Bryan Cranston was named as the Monarch of the parade and would be riding the float. By about 7pm, we snagged a spot along the parade route (Tchoupitoulas & Julia - next to Emeril's) and waited for the parade to come through. The first float came through a little after 8pm. We were thrilled to see Bryan Cranston riding on his own float and we was having a great time tossing throws to the parade goers. My husband even yelled out "Walter White" (his character's name on Breaking Bad) and he tossed him some beads. It was also cool to see Harry Connick, Jr. (one of the Krewe of Orpheus founders) ride the parade. Actor Charlie Day and singer Lauren Alaina were aboard one of the floats as well. It's always neat to see celebrity riders on the floats enjoying Mardi Gras. This parade takes place on Lundi Gras (day before Fat Tuesday) and starts around 6:00pm. If you will be waiting at the end of the parade route, expect it to arrive there around 8:15/8:30pm. Planning to stay close by? I suggest staying closer to the parade end, too. Also, wear a hat, if you are planning on catching stuff because their beads are super heavy and you don't want to risk getting something thrown at your head... it's happened to me in the past and it hurts.

Please note: Do not expose yourself at this parade. There are families with small children around. Police are nearby and you will be arrested and charged. You will not earn any beads and you will possibly be a felon.The second (and last) Uptown parade on Lundi Gras (the day before Mardi Gras) is wonderful. I love the floats, and the generosity of the throws. This parade is a great pleasure to see. It is always celebrity filled, and wonderful.A bit of history provided by their own website is as follows. The Krewe of Orpheus derives its name from the mortal Orpheus, son of the god Apollo and the muse Calliope. The story of Orpheus illustrates the power of music in both this world and the next. Legend is that Apollo presented Orpheus with a lyre, which he played with perfection. The music of Orpheus was so beauorpheus-1894tiful that wild animals ceased their hunting, mountains bowed, seas stopped spraying and trees bent near to listen when he sang. His music was celebrated and cherished by all who heard it. His melodies inspired the noblest love. When Orpheus sang every heart was opened.As with the other Mardi Gras parades, the only gender neutral restrooms are the port-a-johns the city puts out. The surrounding bars and restaurants have their own, not necessarily gender neutral restrooms.

Please note this review is mainly for the Orpheaus Ball (which was my first Mardi Gras ball ever!).Being a local I have been to many Mardi Gras parades. Orpheus always stands out to me because it is a celebrity filled parade. Since Harry Connick Jr. Founded this multi cultural crew there are always great musicians in the parade as well! It is unfortunate that by the time Orpheus rolls around on Lundi Gras (that's the Monday before Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday) I am pooped from all the parades (Muses, Endymion, Bacchus etc.). Fortunately this year my cousin (actually family friend but I'm not picky!) invited me to the Orpheaus Ball! I told anyone that would listen to me that I was going to the ball and felt like Cinderella!Now for all Orpheus ball newbies, I've learned that 1) you bring your own food and adult beverages (Rouse's sandwich platter and chicken drummettes were delish and I brought Sucre, Mckenzie's and Sweet life king cakes!) so you may want to bring a cooler with wheels-just be prepared to be in a separate line with the other cooler people 2) wear comfy shoes (thank goodness my cousin told me bc I didn't last long in my black patent leather open toed platforms) so you can dance all night long, 3) bring a bag for your beads (although this year we scored free bags leftover from the Superbowl!), and 4) make friends with people at other tables so you can watch each other stuff (ladies, bring a small purse for your valuables bc after eating, once the parade is over you won't be at your table when the music starts!).It was so amazing when the parade came in and snaked around the convention center! It was like having our own personal parade! It seemed like the people around us all knew people on the floats which made it fun when we recognized our folks and got tons of throws! Got some great pictures and ran into friends like the 610 Stompers! Woohoo!There were awesome musical acts as one might expect with Harry Connick Jr's musical friends! The list included Harry Connick Jr., Trombone Shorty (frogging amazing!), Lt. Dan Band (Gary Sinese from CSI NY), etc. the music was rocking and we danced all night! We got there once it opened at 7pm and closed it out at 3am! Also, there is a waiter that helps make your stay wonderful so pleasure be sure to tip him/her! Marlon went out of his way to make sure we had a good time! He had OJ ready so we could make mimosas with the champagne! Kudos to the staff at the convention center bc everyone was super friendly and accommodating!It was a magical night and one I won't ever forget!Happy Mardi Gras!

This parade was spectacular!!! It surpassed all expectations that I had and I would definitely attend another year. My family and I stayed at the Hilton Gardens which is walking distance from Emeril's Restaurant which we were lucky to get a spot nearby. More specifically, we were standing on Julia Street near Tchoupitoulas right outside Emeril Lagasse's Restaurant. We had the honor to see Harry Connick Jr. who co-founded the Super Krewe as well as Bryan Cranston, best known for his character Walter White in the Breaking Bad series, ride the floats and toss beads this year. This was a Lundi Gras that I don't see myself ever forgetting. The floats were a feast for the eyes. The riders blended in with their respective floats and the throws were fun for the kids as well as the adults. Hope to see another Orpheus parade soon, like next year.

Orpheus was fun. It followed Proteus on a rainy Lundi Gras evening this year. My daughter didn't let us stick around for the whole thing, but the portion that we watched was great. Beautiful floats, lots of throws for the kiddo, etc.

The Orpheusescapade is my favorite way to bring Mardi Gras to an end- get all dolled up, dance till the wee hours of the morning and sleep away most of Fat Tuesday! I've done it before and this year was no exception and made even more fun since our VIP tickets were on the Captain's Platform (thanks to the good people at the InterContinental Hotel) which meant we had access to a big buffet and open bar and the celebrity riders and Mayor Landrieu were up there with us after they got off their floats. I have to admit, that did up the ante for me this year. The parade itself is beautiful with some of the most gorgeous and ornate floats of any krewe and the riders are very generous with throws. Dierks Bentley was the big musical celebrity monarch this year and he put on one hell of a great performance at the ball. The cast of NCIS New Orleans rode too and looked like the had a blast. The Krewe of Orpheus never disappoints and I'm always a bit sad that they have a bad track record of getting rained on in their almost 20 year history, and it happened again this year, but they never let a little rain stop their good time! You don't have to be a krewe member or be be invited by one to attend the ball. Tickets are sold to the general public and run about $150 each. You do have to being your own food and drink, but if you've never been , you should experience it at least once in your life. It's an experience you'll never forget!

Orpheus is the first super-Krewe fully open to membership of both genders, which has a direct link to hollywood and the music industry. Started in part by local hero Harry Connick Jr, there are abundant glimpses of famous people, many of whom, are riding in their first Mardi Gras parade, so they are genuinely excited to play to the crowds.All Hail Orpheus!