NEW ORLEANS -- It's bright, colorful, and sometimes, downright naughty -- all reasons why many locals say Krewe du Vieux is among their favorites.
See pictures of Krewe du Vieux
"We like this parade a lot because we live in the Quarter, and this one comes right down Royal, so it's in our backyard so to speak," said Leah Rhodes, a New Orleans resident. "The themes are usually a lot of fun, that's what we're hoping for. We're hoping it gets risqué." It did, and as usual, we had to edit some of the footage.
"You gotta kind of watch out, especially with the little ones, you know," said New Orleans resident John Meche.
Rolling down Royal Street Saturday night, the parade passed large crowds of folks braving the chilly temperatures, comprised of both locals and visitors, like one group from Ohio.
"We love it here. We love it. Too bad it's not three or four times a year," said Tammy Huffman, an Ohio resident.
But all of this was in jeopardy after a fire at the Krewe du Vieux den caused heavy damage to floats, decorations and the workspace.
Krewe captain Ray Kern said members had to scramble over the last few weeks to get everything ready.
"We were kind of like, wow, can this happen again? It was like Katrina, except with a fire it was a different element involved, but it was still a disaster," Kern said. "The energy was amazing, the help that we got from our krewe and the neighborhood, the Marigny, was astounding."
And the hard work paid off.
A parade full of handmade, often politically charged floats, is here to kick off Carnival once again.
Folks on hand for Krewe du Vieux wonder if things could get any more exciting. Mardi Gras is officially rolling, and we're one week away from seeing the Saints in the Super Bowl.
Who Dat chants broke out, another sign Saints fever still grips the city.
For many New Orleanians, it's another boost for an already joyous occasion.
"I think it's really cool, because it a lot more true to the roots of Mardi Gras, and I like seeing the horse-drawn carriages and stuff, so that's really neat," said Charlie Meche, a New Orleans resident.
"It's a labor of love, and that's one of the reasons why there's a lot of magic associated with, not only our parade, but Mardi Gras in general," Kern said.
