Shaq, Rutina Wesley, other celebs to reign in Mardi Gras parades
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Photos: Steve Jennings, Chelsea Guglielmino, Vincent Sandoval, Santiago Felipe
Be on the lookout this Mardi Gras for a little extra star power in New Orleans as Shaquille O'Neal, "True Blood" star Rutina Wesley and others reign as celebrity monarchs in parades.
Why it matters: Some will throw custom doubloons and swag.
Keep an eye out for ...
🎬 Rutina Wesley
The actress will ride in Muses' giant high-heel float as the krewe's honorary muse.
- She's best known for her roles in "The Last of Us," "Queen Sugar" and "True Blood."
- "My time in New Orleans meant so much to me, and I have fallen in love with the city in so many ways," Wesley said in a statement. "To say it is my favorite city in America is an understatement."
- The all-female krewe rolls on the Uptown route at 6:30pm Thursday.
🤸♂️ Livvy Dunne
LSU's gymnastics star will be the grand marshal of Endymion.
- Dunne also stars in "The Money Game," an Axios-produced docuseries on Prime Video.
- The parade rolls at 4pm Saturday from Mid-City to the French Quarter.
- Katy Perry and Train will perform at the ticketed Endymion Extravaganza after the parade.
🏀 Shaquille O'Neal
The basketball phenom and LSU graduate is the celebrity monarch in Bacchus.
- The krewe tells us they retrofitted the throne to fit Shaq's famously large frame.
- He'll throw Shaq-branded mini basketballs and doubloons with his face on them.
- The parade rolls Uptown at 5:15pm Sunday.
🇺🇸 Victory Belles
The retro musical performers at the WWII Museum will reign as grand marshals for Thoth on Sunday.
- The parade winds its way through Uptown starting at noon. (Route.)
🤩 Bianca Del Rio and Brothers Osborne
They will reign as the celebrity monarchs of Orpheus.
- Del Rio is a larger-than-life drag queen with a comedic flair who won season six of RuPaul's Drag Race.
- TJ Osborne and John Osborne make up the country music duo known for tunes such as "Stay a Little Longer," "It Ain't My Fault" and "I'm Not For Everyone."
- The parade rolls Uptown at 6pm Monday. (Route)
🐾 Scrim
The city's infamous runaway dog will be the grand marshal in absentia of Barkus.
- An art bike will stand in for the scruffy pup.
- The rescheduled dog parade rolls March 9 in the French Quarter.
Go deeper: Full parade schedule