OVER three thousand women of all races stood on the right side of history and left the Mystic Krewe of Nyx in 2020.
Most school bands and walking krewes have pledged to not participate in that parade ever again.
The power of unity is mighty indeed.
I’ve been thinking about how I wanted to write about my ride for awhile now. If you have been keeping up with the news, you know that this season was marred with tragedies…one of which happened during our parade. That tragedy led to a number of Nyx riders not being able to complete their ride,
and a beautiful soul was lost.
I was on float 13 so I was able to complete the entire ride.
And because of that, there’s a conflict between my head and my heart.
How do you write about a ride that was so awesome, a pre-party that was the best one ever and a crowd that had been lined up on the streets since 9 am…waiting for the krewe to roll when your heart keeps pulling you to the poor soul who is no longer on this earth?
Someone told me that, she loved Mardi Gras…and she loved life. She was out there living her NOLA Life to the fullest.
I definitely understand that. I’m a NOLA Girl through and through too. So in her honor, I’m going to write this blog (and the rest of my Mardi Gras posts)and focus on the joy of the ride..the joy of the season.
The excitement that filled the city that Wednesday.
The people who couldn’t wait for the Mystic Krewe of Nyx to hit the streets and turn this city pink and black,
and the women who couldn’t wait to ride.
Most of us were watching the weather like hawks. I think the forecast was 30% chance for rain that day, but in true NOLA form… people must have started with novenas and getting whatever good juju they could lay their hands on because, we were spared the rain AND the temperature was around 60 degrees.
Great weather equals large crowds and they were out there…DEEP.
Check in for our pre-party began at noon. Some of the ladies like to get together beforehand and have brunch. I began my day slow. I know it’s a marathon type of day so I don’t leave the house until I have to go check in.
Because I’m a float lieutenant, I have added duties so I usually check my bags(a kazillion times) to make sure everything is in there before I leave the house. Once I get to the Convention Center, I check in, find our section and wait for the riders on my float to show up.
This year was very interesting because I rode with laryngitis. My voice was totally gone.I had gotten sick on Sunday and by the time we rode Wednesday, I was so sick that I had to run to an Urgent Care and get a shot to make it through the ride.
My float riders are the best though. They took such good care of me…I’m so lucky to have them.
The pre-party was on fire! This was my favorite one so far and I can’t wait til we ride in 2021 to see if it can get any better. The food was plentiful…and good! The drinks were flowing, and the music kept everyone on the dance floor.
I don’t know who the DJ was but he’s a keeper! My cousin who doesn’t like to dance, STAYED out there on the floor..so yeah…he has the magic touch.
And speaking of floor, let me just say that I LOVE HALL A at the Convention Center!
Why?
Because that hall has carpet! It makes a difference because we’re in there for about 4 hours. Walking around and dancing on a carpeted area was mercy on these old legs and feet of mine. Also, it gave the room a cozy feel. I absolutely love that hall.
Around 3 pm, they began to call the riders by float number to get on the buses parked outside. The buses took us to the lot where the floats were and then we rode the floats down to the line up area.
The ride to the lineup is one of my favorite things to do that day. Usually there are people just hanging out in front of their door or walking the street and they always wave when they see us passing.
I don’t know what it is, but something about seeing them before I get to the massive crowd of people on the route helps me to get ready for the joyous storm that lies ahead.
Man, when we started rolling though.
I knew the crowd was going to be thick, but I wasn’t ready for this one. This was the largest crowd ever…must have been close to 10 people deep. I did notice that the crowds were more aggressive this year. They told you exactly what they wanted from you. One of my riders had her headdress snatched off her head while she was bending down to get more throws.
Not cool at all.
But it’s only a small percentage of people who act this way. Majority of the people on the route are courteous, grateful and happy to see us out there.
And I appreciate you all so much. You all are the reason I ride…there’s nothing like seeing those happy faces staring back at you when you give someone something they didn’t expect to receive.
The crowds were thick the entire route. I ran out of throws (something I never do) and I’m a heavy thrower. I’ve already decided that I’m going to buy the largest package next year (so y’all come out and get those throws.) I know a lot of people like to buy throws and bring them to the floats, but I’ve been riding for 7 years now and the easiest thing to do is to purchase the bead packages. They’re loaded on the float for you and the way they’re packaged gives you more space.
A win-win in my book.
I’m looking forward to 2021… it will be the Mystic Krewe of Nyx’s 10th Anniversary.
10 whole years already.
Seems like yesterday I watched the krewe roll on the streets for the first time.
Seems like yesterday I was blogging about how I didn’t think I’d ever become a member…and here I am 7 years in and a proud float lieutenant.
Here we all are.
Here’s to 2021.
WISHING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU A VERY HAPPY MARDI GRAS! Have a great day and be safe out there! Its been a rough season, take care of yourselves and your loved ones out there.
I’ll be blogging about it soon.
Yeah, I’m a month late and a dollar short, but I’m still here so…let me tell ya all about it!
It was cold. It was wet. It was windy.
And I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Even with the inclement weather, I still had a great time. I don’t know how the Captain does it, but the krewe just keeps getting better and better.
The pre-party was off the chain! Over three thousand women filled the room.
For those who don’t already know, on the day of the ride, all of us meet for a pre-party before we roll on the streets of New Orleans. I love the pre-party because it’s something just for us before we roll and unleash all of our throws onto the city. We get to hang out with sisters we haven’t seen in a while. Some riders live out-of-state, some out of the country and it’s always wonderful being able to spend time with them and the rest of the sisters. Here are a few pics taken at the pre-party,
After the pre-party, we hit the streets and threw til it hurt! Man, I gotta tell ya…that cold/wet/windy combo wasn’t nothing nice! It’s all a part of parading though…some rides will have great weather, some not so great.
I wish I’d taken a picture of the crowd that was out there in the rain supporting us because they were the real MVP’s of the evening. At one point, the rain began to come down pretty hard…I was expecting people to pack up and leave. They did not budge…I was floored. I couldn’t throw to them fast enough. Anything they asked for (expect for purses because I didn’t have anymore) I gave it to them. They more than deserved it.
Shout out to anyone who was out there in that weather with us! You are the real deal!
The krewe is still young (7 years old) and has already topped 3,000 women riders. I’ve been a member for 5 years and this was my first year as a lieutenant. People kept asking me how I liked being in that position. My response was always, “it’s like breathing” because it feels so natural. When you have a passion for something, it doesn’t feel like work.I have no plans to ever leave the krewe. When I’m so old that I can’t climb on the float anymore, then I’ll stop riding.
Nyx has made history in a lot of ways,but what really impresses me the most is the inclusivity. The fact that so many women of color ride in the krewe (and are float lieutenants) speaks volumes. And that inclusivity is visible from the streets. That means a lot when you are a child out there trying to catch throws. I’m not going to even talk about my childhood…when my own kids were young, they didn’t see anyone that looked like them on the floats (and if they had blacks in the krewe, they were few and far between) and my kids are in their 20’s. It’s nice to be in a krewe where diversity is seen.
If you’ve never experienced Mardi Gras in New Orleans before and plan on coming one day, make your reservations so you can catch us! You will not be disappointed! We throw like crazy! See the picture below for evidence…lol.
I’m looking forward to riding in 2019. We ride on Feb.27th…now, I just checked the weather for that day and this year it was clear skies and 72 frigging degrees at night! Imma need the weather gawds to do a repeat for next year.
Until then…
HAIL NYX!
I know this blog post is late like a big dawg, but so much has been going on that it’s getting really hard to keep this ole’ dinosaur afloat.  Bare with me y’all. I’m trying to come up with ways to keep this blog from biting the dust. We’ll discuss more of that later. I had to put out some pics of the Nyx Myx Masquerade Ball which was held in January.
Since so many nyx sisters and future nyx sisters come to the blog looking for pics of events, I had to put out some pics of the Nyx Myx Masquerade Ball which was held in January.
We had a new venue this year. The ball was held at the Convention Center and the last thing anyone can say is that they didn’t have room because…WE DID. It was beautifully decorated and spacious. Â The Captain looked stunning as always and Goddess Nyx VI is the beautiful Zenia Williams.
I do miss the Hilton, but we’ve outgrown her. I’m looking forward to getting as acquainted with the new venue as I was with the old one.
After the 3 course dinner, we danced the night away. I had a wonderful time. I should have taken a picture of my shoes because I have officially given up on wearing heels to the ball. I walk around and dance entirely too much so I purchased a pair of blinged out sneakers to wear.  They felt like slippers! They were sooo comfy. I don’t  believe in suffering for the cause. My dress will by fly, but I won’t wear heels and dance for hours on end…nada.
Here are a few pics of the ball. I love going to the ball…it’s my favorite event.
Hail Nyx!
Yes, I am a bad BayouCreole. This is so unlike me. Mardi Gras is in full swing and I have not blogged a thing. I have so much going on right now it’s crazy, but I will be back soon with a full recap on my season with Nyx (Nyx turns Syx) and other happenings.
I just wanna say that my ride was epic. Â Last year was so fantastic, I didn’t think it could get any better…but apparently it could because last night was over the moon!
Perfect weather, perfect crowd, and perfect krewe. It.Was.Amazing. I have to shout out the Captain of the krewe, Julie Lea. It was her vision to bring about another all-female krewe to ride at night. We are 2,900 women strong.She’s the one who keeps it all together…and she does one helluva job. Well done Julie…very well indeed.
I don’t usually go to the parades on Friday so, I’ll put a post up then about the ride and the work my way back to the ball.
I am one tired duck, but I wouldn’t trade if for anything.
Happy Mardi Gras y’all!
Well, carnival season is officially over and it was absolutely fabulous! I’m going to break my Mardi Gras post into 2 parts because I have so much that I want to cover.
Part one is gonna be about the Krewe of Nyx’s fantastic fifth year. Yeah, the krewe has turned 5 already. It seems like yesterday I was on my lil blog crying away because my number was 1819 (that number will forever be in my head) on the waiting list.
And now I’ve been a sister for 3 years, was a sister-in waiting for 1 year,and I’ve attended all of the Nyx Myx Balls except the first. It’s been one helluva journey and I’m glad that I’ve been able to share it with y’all.
So grab some munchies and lets talk about what went down this year.
In five short years, the krewe has grown tremendously! The first year it rolled with a little over 500 members.
This year we rolled the streets of New Orleans with 2,232 members.
By the way, if you are trying to become a member, you better get over to this website really quick and fill out the Ladies of Interest form. It opened up a few days ago and women were flocking over there like crazy.http://www.kreweofnyx.org/page-1307124
Needless to say, the word is out about the krewe and women are wanting to join the sisterhood. I can’t say that I blame them. When I joined, I didn’t know a soul in it. Now, I have so many women that I call my friends and float mates…it’s pretty darned awesome.
The sisterhood is real y’all.
February 3rd, we took to the streets and for a while there we though that we may have some bad weather, but it was a beautiful night!
I managed to take a 2 minute clip of my ride. If you REALLY REALLY want to know what it’s like up there for me, take a peek. It was taken on the corner of Napoleon and St. Charles. This is where the parade turns onto the longest street of the parade. When you watch the clip, remember…the parade is 5 miles long! It’s total sensory overload..and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
Here’s the clip
It was truly an amazing night, my ride was epic…but I gotta back up and start with my favorite event of the season… the NYX MYX BALL!
YEAH! That’s my favorite event for sure!
The Nyx Myx was held at the Hilton Riverside and once again, the krewe did not disappoint. Navy Seal and I decided to switch it up this year and  stayed at the hotel for 2 nights. Yeah, I know we live in the city, but let me tell ya…that was THEE best decision ever! It was so convenient to be able to just go upstairs at the end of the ball.  And when you’re tipsy tired, who wants to have to worry about getting home and stuff?
And a staycation in New Orleans is always an awesome thing to do.
The Nyx Myx Ball is a ball that’s hard to beat. Â It starts at 6:30 p.m. and ends at 3:30 a.m., you get a 3 course dinner, an open bar the entire time…
OPEN BAR THE ENTIRE TIME…
and around midnight, they set up a breakfast buffet. Â The MoJeaux’s were the entertainment in the Grand Ballroom and the No Idea Band were the entertainment for the Grand Salon. Both bands were crazy good! I fluttered like a lil social butterfly between the 2 rooms and got my dance on for sure.
One of the reasons the ball is my favorite event is because the energy is off the richter scale. Everyone is so happy, it’s like a sea of joy for hours on end.
Our  Captain(Julie Lea) looked absolutely stunning! Here’s a clip of her making her grand entrance.
The grand marshal for 2016 was Paggy Lee,the owner of Five Happiness Restaurant (If you want the best Chinese food in the city, this is where you should go.) Her entrance was spectaular! She had Lion Dancers with her and it was so cool to watch them perform.Â
Y’all  already know that I believe a picture is worth a thousand words so, here we go…
Yep! The Nyx Myx Masquerade Ball was one for the record books!
We aren’t finished yet though…told ya grab some munchies.
About a month after the ball, the Krewe hit the streets of New Orleans with those 2,232 women and painted it pink and black.
A few days before we roll, the krewe holds distribution day. This is the day we get to pick up our costumes and other things. Â I think this is when it hits most of us that we’re actually getting ready to roll.
I took these pics after the mad rush of women had cleared out. Every float has a table and that’s where the ladies pick up their items.
After that, the next big event before we hit the streets is float loading.
Float loading is usually the day before we roll.  I gotta hand it to the krewe, they really made it convenient for us to load this year. Being able to check/load my throws during the daytime was…well, it was like night and day 🙂
Having extended hours to load was a great help too.
The day of the ride, we have a pre-party. That’s where we all get together and have a wonderful time before we roll.  This year the pre-party was  held at the Convention Center.
The pre-party is another favorite event of mine. I’ve enjoyed them all, but this year it was fanTABulous!
What made it fantabulous you say? Well, in addition to the food,drinks and having fun with my fellow nyx sisters,
we had a lot of room in that joint!
That’s right! All of us were in that one room  with plenty tables for each float and we still had a bunch of space to walk around, dance and mingle.
I’m so damned short  I’m behind my cousin.
Now, add Southern University’s Marching Band (The Human Jukebox) to the mix and yeah…we were pretty hyped and ready to hit the streets by the end of the pre-party.
About 4:30 p.m. we began heading out to get on the floats. Once everyone was on board, we were brought to the staging area. This is where we met up with all of the bands and marching units. As the float neared the start up area, the bands and marching units fell in line behind whichever float they were supposed to and then it was off to the races!
The city welcomed the first all-female super krewe with open arms! Â We felt so much love…it was really overwhelming. I expected a large crowd, but when we made the turn from Jefferson onto Magazine Street, the crowd was so thick. The first thing came to my mind was “oh shit, I don’t have enough throws for this!”
I had enough though. By the end of the ride I was too pooped to pop. I didn’t suffer with any body aches until the next day. Five miles of constant throwing can take a toll on your muscles. Next year, I’m scheduling a “post ride” massage to get this old body back in order.
Body aches are a small price to pay for such an experience. I’m already looking forward to 2017.
I’m not rushing it…just looking forward to it.
I still haven’t recouped from this carnival season.
I gotta give kudos to the women who make it all possible. I’m sure it’s not easy, but nothing great ever is.
Well done ladies…well done.
And because it has become tradition for me to put up a few of the signature purses that I create each year, I shall not disappoint.
HAIL NYX!
Is this thing on? Hellllooo out there! Y’all gotta forgive me, I know it’s been a long time…the grand baby is almost 8 months old so, I know it’s been a minute. I’ve been very busy. Â Ya girl is back in school continuing her eduMAcation and it’s taking up so much of my time.
Y’all know that if anything would bring me back to blogging though, it would be Mardi Gras. This is my favorite time of the year. We’re going to catch up on a lot of stuff (the Nyx Myx ball was off the chain and I went to the inaugural ball for the Krewe of Pandora.) Â Also,when we roll on Feb 3rd (I’m so not ready) I’m going to take a video and post it. We’re expecting a huge crowd out this year and the turn from Napoleon Ave. onto St. Charles Ave. is a sight to see. I’m gonna video it and put it up for you all to see. This is the Krewe of Nyx’s 5th year anniversary and what was once a krewe of a little over 500 women is now a krewe with… wait for it…2,232 women riding!
That’s pretty amazing.
I’m so glad that I am a member of such a wonderful krewe. I’m gonna tell you all more about that later though.
Because today is the day that the parades hit the streets, I have people looking for information so here we go,
The link to the 2016 Mardi Gras parade schedule is here
If you live out of town and want to watch the parades or if you live in the city and just can’t make it out for whatever reason, NOLA.COM has a parade cam that’s located on the corner of St. Charles and Napoleon. You can catch all of the parades (with the exception of Zulu and Endymion) on this parade cam. The commentators have gotten much better (the first few years were rough with them) and it’s a live feed  so if you want to watch the parades, make sure you check out what time the parade starts. The parade cam is not too far from where the parades line up.
You can find the link to the parade cam here.
I’m gonna wave at all of my fabulous readers who will catch the Krewe of Nyx on the parade cam. It has become a tradition for me now.
This year I’m on float 28, sidewalk side (that’s passenger side for those who don’t know Mardi Gras lingo.) If you come out on the route to support us,just yell  BayouCreole and I’ll  have a beautifully decorated purse for you!
Grandstand tickets are still for sale. If you want to purchase grandstand tickets, you can find the link here.
I’m actually trying something new this year. This will be my first year catching Endymion in the grandstands. I usually catch them under the bridge at Canal and Claiborne. Â I thought I’d switch it up this year. This is Endymion’s 50th year anniversary! Wow…Can’t wait to see what they put on the streets this year.
The St. Augustine Marching 100 will be in the following parades
And I think that’s about it. If I think of anything, I’ll come back and put a mini post up, but I think I’ve covered the basics. I know a lot of folks (including me) love Randazzo’s king cakes. They(Manny Randazzo’s in Metarie)Â are usually closed on Sundays, but they will be open the Sunday before Lundi Gras (think the day Bacchus rolls.) So if you want to get a king cake before Lundi Gras, you can go there Sunday.
The link to Randazzo’s is here.
Well loves, I think that’s it for now. I gotta get outta here. I’m trying to catch the parades tonight.
Will be back soon…MUAH!
Happy Mardi Gras!
It’s cold as heck out there! I’m home where it’s warm and toasty. This is the 2nd year that I opted not to get grandstand seats and it’s been cold as the dickens out there both years.
I’m just beginning to feel like my ole’ self since my ride….which was totally amazing!!
The Krewe of Nyx took over the city on Wednesday, February 11th with over 1,500 women riding!
It was an absolutely gorgeous night. No rain and it wasn’t cold at all. I only needed 2 shirts under my costume and I was quite comfortable.
And we weren’t cramped on the floats.
I love that we aren’t  forced to be packed like sardines.  I looked at a few other krewes and they were packed kinda tight. I don’t see how they had room to move on some of the floats I’ve seen.
My float mate and I were in this little section by ourselves and it was heavenly!
I wanted to get a video of my ride but, they has so many people out there. I was a throwing fool!I didn’t even have time to get a bite of a sandwich.
My kids (well, they’re young adults now)Yellow Jacket and Purple Knight always come out on the route to support me and the krewe. Seeing them and Navy Seal out there is the highlight of my ride.
And they always managed to get a shot of me in action on the float,
I want to say thank you to all the readers who came out and supported the krewe. It really means a lot to me.
But as much as I loved my ride, I really want to give some attention to a new krewe that hit the streets of New Orleans this year. The first predominantly African-American all-female krewe,
the Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale (MKFF).
Actually, two predominately African-American all-female krewes hit the streets this year.
The other krewe is the Krewe of Athena,Inc. but they ride in Metairie. I’m really happy to finally see black women riding in such heavy numbers. It’s been long overdue.
Congratulations to MKFF and the Krewe of Athena!
You are now a part of Mardi Gras history.
Here are a few pictures of MKFF.
They’re gonna have to have a meeting with their members about keeping those masks on their faces though. It’s a violation to ride unmasked and I saw a few women riding without their masks on.
Well, that’s all I have for now. I’m gonna watch all the parades on the internet so, I have to go!
This is the last day of the giveaway! I’m gonna have Navy Seal pull the winner this evening and I’ll post the winner tomorrow.
Y’all be safe out there!
Have a great Mardi Gras!
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