Krewe of Iris
The oldest and largest all-women krewe in New Orleans, rolling on Saturday morning ahead of Tucks.
- Usual slot
- Saturday before Mardi Gras, late morning
- Usual start
- about 11 a.m. (check the year's schedule)
- Route
- Uptown St. Charles route
- Founded
- 1917; first parade 1959
- Signature throws
- Hand-decorated sunglasses (since 2012)
- Official site
- www.kreweofiris.org/
History
Iris was founded in 1917 as a krewe that held balls but did not parade; it first took to the streets in 1959. With more than 3,600 members it is the largest women's krewe in the city.
Since 2012 the krewe has handed out hand-decorated sunglasses as its signature throw.
If the usual slot holds Usual pattern, not announced
Usual slot: Saturday before Mardi Gras, late morning. 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 | Sat 14 Feb | Tue 17 Feb |
| 2027 | Sat 6 Feb | Tue 9 Feb |
| 2028 | Sat 26 Feb | Tue 29 Feb |
| 2029 | Sat 10 Feb | Tue 13 Feb |
| 2030 | Sat 2 Mar | Tue 5 Mar |
| 2031 | Sat 22 Feb | Tue 25 Feb |
| 2032 | Sat 7 Feb | Tue 10 Feb |
| 2033 | Sat 26 Feb | Tue 1 Mar |
| 2034 | Sat 18 Feb | Tue 21 Feb |
| 2035 | Sat 3 Feb | Tue 6 Feb |
Recent parades: 2025: 1 Mar 2025; 2026: 14 Feb 2026 (published city schedules). Both fell exactly on the usual slot.
Sources
- kreweofiris.org/ (founding; size; checked 2026-10-26)
- theadvocate.com/new_orleans/entertainment_life/mardi_gras/article_3b7… (first parade 1959 (search summary); checked 2026-10-26)
History written for this site from the sources above. Parade dates for 2025 and 2026 from published city schedules.