As the holiday season swings into full swing in the weeks leading up to Carnival Tuesday in Trinidad, in Port of Spain’s sister city New Orleans, the communal tradition of masquerade processions before the celebration of Lent is ushered in with dazzling grandeur that is unmatched. .
Months before the global health crisis put the street festivals on hold, I reconsidered visiting Trinidad for Carnival and invited Will Smith, a lawyer from Atlanta, to join me in New Orleans to experience my first Mardi Gras. Our spacious rental put us near the middle of Esplanade Street.
We were able to bike to scenic City Park and Uber to the pub district around North Rampart Street. We did not foresee the cool weather in sweaters and jackets, nor the development of daily cravings for warm beignets from Cafe Du Monde.
Starting the first weekend of January, miles of streets in the city’s residential neighborhoods are filled with crowds admiring the decadent floats before Mardi Gras’ Fat Tuesday finale in February (or March). Each season, high school marching bands and celebrity entertainers are recruited to accompany the mass floats that dance beneath the graceful canopies of the Live Oak Trees along St. Charles Ave.
The deafening roars that greeted the masquerade troupes, known as Krewes, as they tossed necklaces of jewel-colored beads produced an adrenaline rush that we couldn’t help but enjoy.
As one parade ended, our feet instinctively knew to head to the hotel district on Canal Street to catch another procession. Then go with the flow in the high-octane frenzy of the French Quarter to flaunt the day’s collection of glittery baubles.
Before the crisp air of a fat Tuesday morning felt the warmth of the sun, I joined the search for majestic Mardi Gras Indians on the sleepy streets of Treme. Although institutionalized racism masquerading as gentrification has displaced many of Tremé’s long-time residents, this historic black community is still a must-see for anyone who appreciates the cultural traditions that generations strive to keep alive.
When a spy boy is spotted, this is the signal that a flag boy and the boss are nearby. These masquerades wear vibrant handmade costumes with voluptuous feathers and intricate beading and usually do not publicize their procession route for Mardi Gras Tuesday.
The tradition of investing the better part of a year to patiently construct a single-use costume is shared with Trinidad and Tobago’s traditional carnival known as the Fancy Sailors.
These decadent characters emerged from the tumultuous US military occupation of Trinidad and Tobago between 1941-1947. Fancy Sailor portrayals are in the realm of the surreal. They convey narratives crafted with vibrant apps, gems and feathers. Folklore, historical events and a fantastical imagination inspire these eye-catching costumes worn by a group of fading believers.
The African inhabitants of Louisiana share a unique relationship with the American Indians of the area. The history meticulously stitched into rich Indian Mardi Gras costumes over generations conveys reverence in costumes that symbolize homage to American Indian tribes such as the Houma and Chitimacha, who provided safe haven for Africans escaping plantation slavery.
Sacred sites that were razed to install a highway remain an integral part of Mardi Gras Indian traditions. As traffic thumps the Claiborne Highway overhead, groups of Mardi Gras Indians sing in the language of the indigenous people, while Indian chiefs flaunt their costumes and swear in battle. Then quietly pass through side streets splattered with crawling spectators.
Before you pack, check the weather forecast and visit NOLA.com to determine daily activities and nightly deals. During your visit, get your soul food fix at Dooky Chase’s. The matriarch of this legendary restaurant, Leah Chase, placed her famous culinary traditions in safe hands before she passed away in 2019.
If you’re attending Mardi Gras with kids, watch out for the flashing flesh and risqué shenanigans that draw wild revelers to Bourbon Street. Visit the New Orleans Historical Collection and the New Orleans African-American Museum to enrich your perspective on the triumphs and tragic events that shape New Orleans, like the story of Solomon Northup that inspired the movie “12 Years a Slave.”
We hopped and rolled with a second line band leading the Lundi Gras Red Bean Parade from Mid-City to Tremé. It was a pleasant surprise to discover a block party hosted at the Backstreet Cultural Museum serving delicious five dollar bowls of red beans with rice. But the best part was the thrilling sight of people singing and swaying like burning palms to the sweet soca music from Trinidad.
Sean Drakes reports on cultural travel and is producing his first book entitled The Last Mas on the Carnival Arts designs by an Emmy Award winning artist.
