Krewe of Orpheus
Date: Monday, Mar 3, 2014 | Location: Uptown | Time: 6:00pm
Founded in 1993, the Krewe of Orpheus takes its name from the musically-inclined son of Zeus and Calliope. Founding members included Harry Connick, both the junior and senior.
In New Orleans, the krewe established themselves as a superkrewe with their first parade in 1994, which rolled with 700 riders. They were the first super Krewe to allow both male and female riders.
The Krewe’s throws include a number of popular items including emblem beads, stuffed animals, signature beads, light-up Orpheus medallion beads, cups, three different types of doubloons, and 4-foot-long stuffed dragons.
They have a number of notable floats including the Dolly Trolley, the horse-drawn bus that was used in the opening of Holly Dolly with Barbra Streisand, the Smoking Mary which is a six unit float that looks like a steam locomotive, a Trojan horse and the Orpheus Leviathan Float, which is a three unit, 139-foot float, and the first Carnival float to use extensive fiber optic lighting.
In 2013, Krewe of Orpheus celebrates their 20th Anniversary. Their parade starts at 6 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013. Now consisting of 1,200 male and female riders, the Krewe of Orpheus will roll through Orleans Parish with a number of celebrity riders including Harry Connick Jr, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, actor Gary Sinise, actress Mariska Hargitay, Nick Cannon and The Imagination Movers, a rock band for kids.
Past celebrity guests have included:
- Sandra Bullock
- Glenn Close
- Whoopi Goldberg
- Stevie Wonder
- Vanessa Williams
- Laurence Fishburne
- Forrest Whitaker
- Quincy Jones
- Brad Paisley
- Dominic Monaghan
- Josh Hartnett
- Joan Rivers
- Josh Hartnett
- Gerald McRaney
- Delta Burke
- Anne Rice
- Toby Keith
- David Copperfield
Please note that tickets are available for grandstand seating on St. Charles Avenue, but tickets are not required to see the parade. If you arrive early enough, you can claim a spot on the route with a blanket and some chairs.