Mystic Krewe of Hermes
The oldest continuously parading night krewe, and the first to light its floats with neon.
- Usual slot
- Friday before Mardi Gras, evening (first of Hermes, d'Etat, Morpheus)
- Usual start
- about 5:30 p.m. (check the year's schedule)
- Route
- Uptown St. Charles route
- Founded
- 1937
- Official site
- mystickreweofhermes.com
History
Hermes has rolled since 1937 and is the oldest night krewe that has paraded without a break in its line. It was the first to use neon lighting on its floats.
In 2025 the City Council named the Friday before Mardi Gras 'Hermes Friday' in its honour.
If the usual slot holds Usual pattern, not announced
Usual slot: Friday before Mardi Gras, evening (first of Hermes, d'Etat, Morpheus). Tied to Fat Tuesday, that slot gives these dates. They are projections, not a schedule: confirm on the krewe's site or the city's Mardi Gras page before you travel.
| Carnival | Usual-slot date | Fat Tuesday |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fri 13 Feb | Tue 17 Feb |
| 2027 | Fri 5 Feb | Tue 9 Feb |
| 2028 | Fri 25 Feb | Tue 29 Feb |
| 2029 | Fri 9 Feb | Tue 13 Feb |
| 2030 | Fri 1 Mar | Tue 5 Mar |
| 2031 | Fri 21 Feb | Tue 25 Feb |
| 2032 | Fri 6 Feb | Tue 10 Feb |
| 2033 | Fri 25 Feb | Tue 1 Mar |
| 2034 | Fri 17 Feb | Tue 21 Feb |
| 2035 | Fri 2 Feb | Tue 6 Feb |
Recent parades: 2025: 28 Feb 2025; 2026: 13 Feb 2026 (published city schedules). Both fell exactly on the usual slot.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystic_Krewe_of_Hermes (founding; neon; Hermes Friday; checked 2026-10-26)
History written for this site from the sources above. Parade dates for 2025 and 2026 from published city schedules.