The Krewe of OAK is a small neighborhood
New Orleans Mardi Gras
The holiday of Mardi Gras is celebrated in all of Louisiana, including the city of New Orleans. Celebrations are concentrated for about two weeks before and through Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday (the start of lent in the Western ...
krewe
A krewe (pronounced "crew") is a social organization that puts on a parade or ball for the Carnival season. The term is best known for its association with Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans, but is also used in other Carnival celebrations ar ...
and
parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...
held in the
Carrollton neighborhood of
. The parade starts and ends on
Oak Street, presumably the origin of the name, although members say that OAK stands for "Outrageous And Kinky".
The krewe's
Carnival
Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...
parade is held on the Friday night before
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fat ...
Day. OAK also holds a "Mid Summer Mardi Gras" celebration, usually in August.
The Krewe Ball is held at the
Maple Leaf Bar, and parades start and end outside that neighborhood landmark.
The Krewe of OAK is an example of
neighborhood
A neighbourhood (British English, Irish English, Australian English and Canadian English) or neighborhood (American English; see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town, suburb or rural area, ...
Carnival celebrations. Since the 1980s it is the only parade still marching in Carrollton during the Carnival season, as the neighborhood's older Krewe, the
Krewe of Carrollton, now parades on Saint Charles Avenue and
Canal Street, one of the routes which the city government now strongly pressures parades over a certain size to follow.
The parade traditionally features
golf cart
A golf cart (alternatively known as a golf buggy or golf car) is a small motorized vehicle designed originally to carry two golfers and their golf clubs around a golf course with less effort than walking. Over time, variants were introduced t ...
floats with effigy heads of notable Carrollton characters, including
James Booker
James Carroll Booker III (December 17, 1939 – November 8, 1983) was a New Orleans rhythm and blues keyboardist born in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Booker's unique style combined rhythm and blues with jazz standards. Musician Dr. J ...
. Additionally, there are
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
brass bands, dance troupes, and home-made floats and costumes.
The 2005 Krewe of OAK Midsummer Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday night, 27 August 2005, was the last parade held in New Orleans before
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
.
The annual Krewe of OAK Mid-Summer Mardi Gras parade usually takes place on the last weekend of August. But in 2017 the foot parade was held on the second to last weekend of August in order to better coincide with the upcoming solar eclipse.
Photos of the 2005 OAK parade
References
{{Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Uptown New Orleans