Krewe of Nyx parade is on the chopping block
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Parade throws from the Krewe of Nyx advertised membership. Photo: Chelsea Brasted/Axios
The Krewe of Nyx's Mardi Gras parade is on the chopping block with City Council after the krewe advertised for membership with its throws in 2024, a violation on the ban of commercialization in Mardi Gras parades.
Why it matters: Though it's not the only krewe to parade on the Wednesday before Mardi Gras, the revocation would jeopardize any parading that day, City Councilman JP Morrell said.
The big picture: Nyx's parade permit was part of a broader City Council conversation dedicated to reviewing Mardi Gras regulations.
- Mardi Gras has gotten bigger since Hurricane Katrina, council members and public commenters said, which has created new challenges and greater focus on the rules.
- And next year, New Orleans hosts the Super Bowl during the Carnival season, making city leaders even more eager to ensure the holiday is seamless and safe.
What he said: For Nyx "to be riding on your tax-subsidized route [and] throwing favors advertising for and soliciting membership — that is beyond offensive," Morrell said.
- It's "absolutely my intent" to remove the krewe, he said.
- Nyx also came under fire for falling short on its marching band requirement for a second year, Morrell said.
- Oshun, King Arthur and Cleopatra also missed the band requirement for 2024, Morrell said, and received warnings about those violations.
Tents are also in trouble as council members seek to crack down on DIY and pop-up tent toilets, and the general obstruction tents create on the route.
- "Tents are a problem," Morrell said. "They just are. … You see full-blown 'Game of Thrones' pavilions."
Among other changes committee members considered Wednesday were:
- Updating the list of items banned from the parade route to include sofas, scaffolding, couches and platforms or stages.
- Keeping people from barricading off public areas for their own private use while improving the city's ability to to get through congested areas in emergencies.
- A ban on all confetti cannons.
- Stricter enforcement around ensuring horses and their riders are safe on the route.
What's next: City Council didn't make any firm decisions Wednesday as members consider ordinance changes and enforcement possibilities.