The Carnival season traditionally starts on Kings Day, Jan. 6, said to be the moment in the bible when the three kings reached the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. But in 2026, the parading season in New Orleans may start a bit early.
The New Orleans Police Department on Friday issued a permit for a new parade that will roll through the French Quarter and Central Business District on Jan. 5. According to NOPD public information officer Aaron Looney, the Mystic Kings Krewe has gotten the green light to present the parade, pending the payment of fees due one week before the date of the parade.
On Monday, parade founder Cecil Roebuck said that he is prepared to pay the required amounts: $16,000 for the parade permit, $12,000 for cleanup, and $5000 for insurance by the prescribed time. He said that the inaugural parade will be small, featuring just three – or maybe four – floats with 50 riders.
The parade is set to begin on the river-end or Elysian Fields Avenue and then follow a more-or-less straight path, following N. Peter and Decatur Streets through the French Quarter, continuing on Tchoupitoulas Street to Poydras Street. The parade will turn left and end near the Hilton Riverside hotel.
When plans for the parade were first made public in April, Roebuck originally envisioned a considerably longer parade that would include Canal Street, Elks Place and St. Charles Avenue, but that was trimmed to accommodate the police department. He’d also hoped to include three camels in the procession, which were thought to be the mode of transportation of the biblical kings. He’s now unsure if camels will be part of the picture.
Originally Roebuck hoped to remain anonymous, as is the custom of the leaders of some Carnival organizations. But City Council president JP Morrell named him during a scathing Facebook video in May.
In the course of the video, Morrell said that Roebuck had not completing the building of floats for a Mobile Alabama Mardi Gras parade in 2023. Morrell said that the proposed Mystic Kings parade was “a complete and total scam.”
Roebuck said that he was wrongly accused. Morrell’s office has not immediately responded to a request for comment.
Roebuck said that spaces are still available for riders. The cost to ride is $500, which includes costume, throws, and admission to a post-parade party. For more information, visit the parade website.
The new Mystic Kings Krewe plans to roll on Jan. 5.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nola.com ’
