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.
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!
The Life and Times of Bayoucreole 