Krewe Of Zulu

I was so excited that David and I actually made it down early enough to catch a good part of Zulu.I had never been to Zulu before and I knew that it was one of those parades that I just had to see. Everyone is familiar with the style of Zulu and, along with Rex, it's one of the big parades to roll through New Orleans on Mardi Gras day. The crowd was thick and the riders were having a great time and throwing generously. Of course, the "goal" was to catch a Zulu coconut, which I noticed that they were throwing copious amounts of, so I figured our chances were pretty good. We were in the back of a huge crowd when David put his hand up and a rider tossed him one and he caught it like a pro! It's so awesome that this was our first Zulu experience and we were able to get a signature throw.The crowds are always a lot more mellow during parades on actual Mardi Gras day, so I enjoyed the parade and the big crowd was tolerable. I definitely want to make this a yearly tradition.

This year was not Mardi Gras. I grew up going to the parade and being under the bridge with my family. The parade route was completely altered and I know this was not the fault of Zulu. But the traditions and culture were snubbed out. The parade didn't run like it normally does and I could have sworn several floats were missing. The Tramps were missing and it definitely felt like they should have still been able to walk the wind wasn't that bad and the route cut extremely short. Some of the police officers were extremely rude and terrorizing. Threatened to have people removed from the parade for crossing over the barricades to get the coconuts because the floats were so far away and it's illegal to throw coconuts but allowing people right next to them on both sides cross the barricades and not say a word. Mardi Gras was not Mardi Gras. The best was made out of a bad situation.

The Krewe of Zulu's 2020 parade - "Zulu's Book of Love and Cinema"The Krewe of Zulu rolled Fat Tuesday on the Uptown Route, right before Krewe of Rex. This parade started early at 8:00a. We parked at a parking garage and made our way to Canal Street (it was quite a distance, some 5 or 6 blocks). Most of New Orleans streets were closed due to the parades so finding a place to park was challenging (and far). Background:One of the oldest Carnival parades in the city, Zulu dates back to the early 1900s. Louis Armstrong reigned as its King in 1949.Throw me a coconut! This fancy glittery orb is one of the most coveted throws of the Carnival... a Zulu hand-painted, glitzed up coconut. Actually, they are handed into the crowd rather than thrown, to avoid injuries (and probably lawsuits). One was handed to the lady next to me. Lucky!I overheard some people talk about families staking out their parade watching position... and they got there at 7:00a to stake their claim. what? whoa... I learn something new everyday. Yup, they had their lawn chairs, coolers (filled with dranks and food/snacks), and their "yellow" bags. It almost looks like those yellow shopping bags from IKEA. I've seen many people, they must've been "Mardi Gras regulars," carry these bags to store all the beads, trinkets, coconuts and doubloons that they catch from the floats.This Krewe is huge, like 40+ floats plus the participating marching bands in between. It was looooong but fun watching them as they were generous in their throws: Beads, cups, stuffed animals, plastic toys...Review #1737

I usually catch Zulu and the other parades down on St. Charles but due to a late start we decided to go to Orleans and Claiborne. We got a front row spot right behind the barricade.I really want to give more stars but I can't bring myself to do it. One issue I have is that when the parade first came through we got one small float and one dance group. Then we had to wait around 30 minutes for something else. After that, we had to wait about 15 more minutes. The people on the floats were so willing to just discard their throws right onto the ground between the float and the barricade. They just threw things all willy nilly. Pure ridiculousness. The crowd continued to complain. It's simple. Look out into the crowd. Everyone is waving their arms trying to get your attention. Make eye contact and aim. Or at least let it be known that you are going to throw something. These folks had their heads down in the bag and then just hurled beads that no one was expecting. People around me were ducking. An entire hula hoop ended up around my head. I did not see it coming. Coconuts ended up on the ground several times and people had to hop over the barricade in order to retrieve them.Although is no fault of the Zulu Krewe, the location did not provide for anything other than standing room only. And the crowd was deep. There was no way to take a bathroom break or get something to eat or drink and return. No way to get back up to the front. So we stuck it out and stayed put the entire time we were there. We got two coconuts. We were not interested in beads so we ended up leaving around float 15 and there were a total of 30 based on what the guy near us said. There were a lot of nice bands. LSU and some high schools from around the state. Even a school from Ohio had a nice band in the parade.Overall the whole event was too long and redundant. Too much waiting in the beginning. We will return to St. Charles where we can catch Zulu, Rex, truck parades, and have room to move around and put down chairs.

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 first parade on the Uptown route on Fat Tuesday, their special throw is a hand decorated coconut. Not a real coconut, but plastic in the shape of a coconut. Each float has its own music playing. Seeing black and white in black face leads to some question as to what is going on, and questions as to whether or not this is still culturally relevant. But, they have a deep rooted culture and history, and is one of the oldest Mardi Gras parades, and steeped in a great tradition. The Zulu warriors and the Mardi Gras Indians are all beautifully dressed. Everyone in the parade are very interactive with the crowds and parade goers.This is definitely one of the longest parades of the season. Yes, it does start at 8am, and the participants have to be at the start at something like 4am, so I am sure they are all worn out by the end of the parade. This year was the warmest in my memory, so I was not surprised to see worn out riders by the time they got to where I stood.This is one that is not to be missed. Just come. You won't regret it.

This is always a fun parade on Mardi Gras day. A lot of tradition with this parade with all the Krewe of Zulu in blackface and afro wigs like they have done for years. Their signature throw are hand decorated coconuts that are highly coveted by the parade goers. Maybe you will be lucky and get one. My wife got several over the years.

I honestly can't remember when I lost saw Zulu in person... It's difficult to make it out of bed so early on carnival morning and walk over to the parade; Zulu follows it's own route...which is a couple of miles from my house. But this year my niece and I made it!LOVED the walking Zulu warriors, one of whom handed me a coconut so score! Love the costumes. Also the fire truck krewe was great with unique throws to their little group.But many of the folks on the floats seemed disinterested in being in a parade. Maybe it was the cold but lots of riders were on their phones or drinking and not really paying attention to the adoring crowds at their sides. I'm definitely going to make it back down to see them next year...I hope in better weather.

So I finally made it to Zulu!! After three years in New Orleans and eight years of Mardi Gras, it was about time! This year it actually worked out that I was working every day except Lundi Gras and Mardi Gras so I took it as a sign that I would have to wake up Tuesday morning and get to the parade route.We took the streetcar down Canal around 8:30 or 9 instead of walking to Treme. It dropped off before Basin/Rampart (the parade turns from Canal up Basin so it's blocked there). At this time, all of Canal and Basin up to Treme is relatively free space because the parade is still well down St. Charles. All of the cooking/tents and barricade free areas are on Basin street and in Treme. We stayed around Canal because I wanted to get pictures of people costuming in the quarter, but Treme or St. Charles is much better for parade watching.Overall, this is a great parade, though a little slow this year--between some of the court floats they were lagging upwards of 30-45 minutes. I didn't catch one of the coveted coconuts because I was next to a group of kids in their own private section (must be nice to have an NOPD officer for a dad) that caught probably 15 of them. The floats are not as grand as the super-krewes, but a morning parade has it's own charms (9am daiquiris being one). To ride the street car home later in the afternoon we had to walk all the way back up to Galvez from the Quarter. I might walk to Treme or go to St. Charles, but I will try to go again next year!

How is this parade not 5 stars from everyone? Seriously, this is the best parade of mardi gras. Don't get me wrong, there are several others that are definitely not to miss. While some might have flashier throws or more elaborate floats - Zulu combines history/tradition and a party all in one. Highlight this year was a cop dancing the cupid shuffle with a group of people (not the viral video, but another dancing cop- gotta love New Orleans!). Flat out, coconuts have to be my favorite throw. Well... they are more tossed or handed out rather than thrown. This is good since they would probably cause at least a few injuries if they were chucked. Each is decorated so that no 2 are the same. It's fun to yell and wave in attempts to be rewarded with a coconut. And how can you resist the black and gold theme colors? They are the best beads for future wear at Saints games or home decorations. The only throw I could have done without this year was the bf getting a naked woman in a folded position... haha. Waking up early is worth it. Libations in the street (in plastic cups of course) make things warmer while you wait for the parade to start. Yes, it doesn't really start on time, but what in New Orleans actually does? If you'd like to learn more about their roots, please read: http://www.kreweofzulu.com/history

I can now whole heartedly agree with the masses who flock to this particular krewe's parade route. With this being the first time I attended this infamous parade I definitely left satisfied. The route is a block away from my place at one point so we picked a spot there. The floats were classic. Even though I was discouraged at first about being able to get a coconut I kept the faith and had a few to take home.