How to See the Rex Parade at Mardi Gras

In 1872, some businessmen got together to think about a way to attract more people to New Orleans. A Grand Duke was visiting from Russia and a big parade and carnival were thrown in honor of the visiting royalty. The carnival was a big success and quickly led to a yearly celebration with the Rex (Latin for "king") organization hosting the event. The parades have spread to other organizations through the years, with the Rex parade at Mardi Gras still being one of the biggest and most popular parades of the year. All of the floats in the Rex parade are made by hand.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Camera
• Water bottle
• Comfortable shoes

See the Rex Parade at Mardi Gras

1. Learn the theme song for the Rex parade at Mardi Gras, "If Ever I Cease to Love," written in the 1870s.

2. Arrive early for this parade to get a place by the street where you can see the parade. There will be large crowds of people everywhere by 10 a.m. when the parade starts on Fat Tuesday.

3. Keep in mind the Rex parade route, which follows the traditional route starting at the corner of South Claiborne and Napoleon and moving south on Napoleon, east on St. Charles and south on Canal.

4. Look for a corner to stand on to see the parade. The corner of St. Charles and Canal can be a good place to see the parade.

5. Take lots of pictures of the colorful floats, people and bands coming down the street to remind yourself of the great fun you had.

6. Look for a local restaurant to eat a late lunch after the parade. Simply ask a local for her opinion on the best place to eat close to where you are.

Tips & Warnings

• Join in the fun by wearing your own costume for this fun-filled parade.
• The Rex parade at Mardi Gras is full of colorful and musical fun the entire family can enjoy together.
• You will stand a long time waiting for the parade and then watching the parade (which lasts for 4 hours), so wear comfortable shoes and bring your own plastic water bottle.
• Save yourself the trouble of waiting for the parade by booking a room in one of the hotels along the parade route. Book early, because parade-side rooms go quickly.
• The crowd can go crazy for the items thrown from the floats, so be on your guard to catch souvenirs and watch out for people jumping for beads.

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on 12/17/2007 This is a chronicle of how a photo was ID'd to be from the 1922 Rex Parade.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/486429/a_historical_photo_id_mystery_solved.html?page=4