Mistick Krewe of Comus
The oldest krewe, which invented the themed night parade in 1857 and stopped parading in 1991 rather than open its membership.
Has not paraded since 1991.
- Usual slot
- Mardi Gras night (until 1991)
- Founded
- 1856; first parade 1857; last parade 1991
History
Comus was founded in 1856, and its torch-lit Mardi Gras night parade of 1857 introduced the idea of a krewe with themed floats, which every later parade copied.
In 1991–92 the City Council, led by Councilmember Dorothy Mae Taylor, passed an ordinance requiring parading krewes to certify that they did not discriminate by race, religion or sex. Comus, Momus and Proteus withdrew from parading rather than comply. Courts later struck down parts of the ordinance, but Comus never returned to the streets. (Proteus came back in 2000.)
Comus still holds its ball on Mardi Gras night, and the meeting of its court with Rex's still closes Carnival.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistick_Krewe_of_Comus (founding; 1857 parade; withdrawal; ball; checked 2026-10-26)
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Mae_Taylor (ordinance; checked 2026-10-26)
History written for this site from the sources above. Parade dates for 2025 and 2026 from published city schedules.