Krewe du Vieux
The adults-only satirical parade that opens the main season, and the only full krewe allowed to parade through the French Quarter.
- Usual slot
- Third Saturday before Mardi Gras, evening
- Usual start
- about 6:30 p.m. (check the year's schedule)
- Route
- Marigny and French Quarter
- Founded
- 1987
- Official site
- kreweduvieux.org/
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History
Krewe du Vieux grew out of the Krewe of Clones, founded in 1978, and took its present form in 1987. It is a federation of sub-krewes, each building its own small float, pulled by mules or by hand, with brass bands between them.
Its satire is sharp, local and frequently rude: this is not a parade for children. It is the only full krewe parade allowed to roll through the French Quarter, where big floats cannot fit.
If the usual slot holds Usual pattern, not announced
Usual slot: Third Saturday before Mardi Gras, evening. 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 31 Jan | Tue 17 Feb |
| 2027 | Sat 23 Jan | Tue 9 Feb |
| 2028 | Sat 12 Feb | Tue 29 Feb |
| 2029 | Sat 27 Jan | Tue 13 Feb |
| 2030 | Sat 16 Feb | Tue 5 Mar |
| 2031 | Sat 8 Feb | Tue 25 Feb |
| 2032 | Sat 24 Jan | Tue 10 Feb |
| 2033 | Sat 12 Feb | Tue 1 Mar |
| 2034 | Sat 4 Feb | Tue 21 Feb |
| 2035 | Sat 20 Jan | Tue 6 Feb |
Recent parades: 2025: 15 Feb 2025; 2026: 31 Jan 2026 (published city schedules). Both fell exactly on the usual slot.
Sources
- kreweduvieux.org/about.html (origins; format; checked 2026-10-26)
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krewe_du_Vieux (French Quarter route; checked 2026-10-26)
History written for this site from the sources above. Parade dates for 2025 and 2026 from published city schedules.