Mardi Gras in New Orleans will look a little different this year. Our favorite walking, dancing, marching, and rolling parades will be missed, but the opportunity to make Mardi Gras magic lives on. Revelers near and far are invited to an interactive event series exploring the music, movement, and art that brings Carnival to life.

Krewe of You participants will learn from New Orleans' most acclaimed Carnival krewe members and culture bearers to create all the elements of their own krewe. The series was created for students (ages 7+), families, and educators - but open to all! 

Upcoming sessions explore:

MUSIC | Tuesday, January 19th | 4:30-5:30pm CT

Create your krewe’s song and rhythm with Gregory Davis of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Music is an important part of Mardi Gras. Whether it's the sound of a brass band, a parade passing by, or just the rhythm of your feet as you march, there is music everywhere! Together, we'll use the fundamentals of rhythm to create our own unique rhythms and put them together to make a mardi gras beat.

FLOATS | Tuesday, January 26th | 4:30-5:30pm CT

Build your krewe’s floats with special guests from the Krewe of King Arthur

A maquette is a small version of a big sculpture. We're going to be making maquettes of our dream floats! Your krewe wants you to design the most extravagant float of your parade!

Materials needed:

• shoe box/ chocolate box (or box of comparable size/ shape, if possible a box with a lid)
• construction paper (scraps of construction paper are good too!)
• scissors
• glue
• markers or colored pencils
• optional: gems, sequins, pom poms, old mardi gras beads, feathers, paint

DANCE | Tuesday, February 2nd | 4:30-5:30pm CT

Choreograph your krewe's dance with special guests from the Camel Toe Lady Steppers

Dance krewes are one of our favorite parts of Mardi Gras parades. Ever wonder what it takes to dance down St. Charles Ave? Wonder no more as the Camel Toe Lady Steppers lead us in an active and fun dance session!

COSTUMES | Tuesday, February 9th | 4:30-5:30pm CT

Craft your krewe’s costume pieces with a special guest from the Krewe of Red Beans

We've been wearing masks all year, but Mardi Gras masks are so much more fun! Your krewe needs you to design a unique and eyecatching mask!

Materials:

• elastic ( to use as a tie for mask, string/ribbon will work too)
• uncoated paper plate
• white glue
• scissors
• glitter glue
• markers or colored pencils
• optional: gems, sequins, pom poms, old mardi gras beads, feathers

Past sessions explored:

THROWS | Tuesday, January 12th | 4:30-5:30pm CT

Design your krewe doubloons with special guests from the Rex Organization & Krewe of Muses

Sign up for one or attend all five sessions! Registration is pay-what-you-can and all donations go toward KID smART arts education programs in New Orleans public schools.

Thank you to our sponsor, WWNO 89.9FM, and all participating krewes!

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Meet your teachers!

About Kevyn Miller / Wndrby: My name is Mr. Miller, but you can call me Wndrby because I believe everyone should be their own superhero. I've been teaching with KID smART for 3 years and I've been making music for as long as I can remember. At one point, I thought I should go into computer science, but I knew that if Music wasn't a big enough part of my life that I wouldn't be happy. I went on to study Music Education at LSU, where I fell in love with elementary music and dove headfirst into the world of singing, dancing, and playing to learn. Nothing makes me happier than finding new and exciting ways to engage students using the universal language of music and I can't wait to make music together.

About Erin Doherty: Ms. Erin is a native New Orleanian, visual artist, and arts educator. She attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and received an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus on the handmade. Her mediums include painting, drawing, ceramics, sculpture, bookbinding, and weaving. Since 2012, she has been teaching visual arts at several nonprofits in Chicago, New Orleans, and rural Mississippi. She strives to create a safe, supportive creative space to nourish the souls of our diverse community here in New Orleans.