The Knights of Babylon parade on Jeudi Gras, the Thursday night prior to Mardi Gras. The Knights of Babylon Parade rolls annually on its traditional Uptown New Orleans parade route. Babylon is always the first parade on this evening, leading the way for the other Thursday parades, and blazing the trail for Carnival weekend festivities.
Its route starts at the intersection of Magazine Street and Napoleon Avenue, turning right toward downtown at St. Charles Avenue. It travels downtown on St. Charles Avenue past Lee Circle and onward to Canal Street where the parade disbands in front of the Marriott Hotel. Following the parade, Babylon's invitation-only tableau ball and supper dance are held at the Marriott Hotel. Originally, the traditional tableau and ball had been staged at the Municipal Auditorium until 2005, when this facility sustained extensive hurricane damage, prompting the organization to move the ball to an alternate venue.
The Knights of Babylon are one of the few krewes left that utilize the traditional hand-held flambeaux to light the parade route on foot.
Parade History
Babylon has always received the highest praise for adhering faithfully to the most cherished Carnival traditions. Their floats have the same basic designs and dimensions that they did at the krewe's inception more than 75 years ago, and the King's Float is mule drawn. Additionally, in keeping with the tenets of a mystic krewe, the organization requires all riders to remain masked throughout the entire duration of the parade. Unlike many Carnival organizations that rent floats, the Knights of Babylon own all of their floats and the den that houses them.
Originally, Babylon's parade and attendant parade-day festivities were held on the Wednesday before Mardi Gras. The Krewe of Momus, which historically paraded on Thursday evening, stopped parading in 1992, and, as a result, in 1993, Babylon moved its parade and tableau ball to the Thursday immediately before Mardi Gras. Babylon is the first of the three uptown parades on this night, leading the way into the festivities of the weekend before Mardi Gras. The Knights of Babylon are proud to uphold the traditions of Carnival on this festive evening. As many locals say, “CARNIVAL BEGINS WHEN BABYLON ROLLS!"
Parade themes
2022 Once Upon a Time
2021 No Parade - COVID-19 Pandemic
2020 Mythological Menagerie
2019 Winged Wonders
2018 Gifts of the Gods to New Orleans
2017 The Lure & Legends of Gold
2016 Enchantments and Transformations
2015 Babylonian Pantheon
2014 Thanks for the Memories
2013 The Land of Dreams
2012 The Queen's Diamond Jubilee
2011 Babylonian Birthstones
2010 Masks of Men
2009 Living Jewels
2008 The Babylonian Sky
2007 The Chinese Expeditions
2006 Out from Under
2005 A Frolic in Fairyland
2004 The Pirates of Penzance
2003 Sauntering Through Sondheim
2002 Guys and Dolls
2001 Wonderful Land of Oz
2000 L’histoire de Notre Heritage Francais
1999 For the Love of Opera
1998 Yankee Doodle Boy
1997 South Pacific
1996 Gigi
1995 Music Man
1994 New Moon
1993 Naughty Marietta
1992 Carmen
1991 Oliver Twist
1990 Pygmalion
1989 The Golden years
1988 The Trapp Family Singers
1987 Oklahoma
1986 The Matchmaker
1985 Desert Song
1984 Once and Future King
1983 Kismet
1982 Snow White
1981 Tevye's Tales
1980 Babes in Toyland
1979 Henry VIII
1978 Mozart
1977 The Little Glass Slipper
1976 Commander Matthew C. Perry
1975 Robin Hood
1974 Anna and the King Siam
1973 Aida
1972 Peer Gynt
1971 The Student Prince
1970 Around the World in Eighty Days
1969 Don Quixote
1968 Gone are the Days
1967 Behind the Golden Curtain
1966 Benjamin Franklin
1965 Poems of Youth
1964 Le Ballet
1963 Hans Christian Anderson
1962 The Musical Theater
1961 Rogues and Renegades
1960 Alice in Wonderland
1959 Arts through the Ages
1958 Scenes from the Opera
1957 Makers of History
1956 The Theatre
1955 Masks
1954 Tales: Old, Ever New
1953 Fabulous Festivals
1952 Contributions to Civilization
1951 Historical Highlights
1950 The Marches
1949 The Sciences
1948 Fancy's Flight
1947 The Arts
1946 No Parade - World War II
1945 No Parade - World War II
1944 No Parade - World War II
1943 No Parade - World War II
1942 No Parade - World War II
1941 Capricious Nature
1940 Travelogue
Royal court
The Knights of Babylon annually present a royal court including a King Sargon of Akkad, Sargon's Queen, Sargon's royal pages, the queen's royal pages, ladies in waiting, princesses, and royal maids. The identity of King Sargon is kept secret and is never revealed.
Iconic floats
Sargon is the first float of the parade and carries Sargon the Magnificent, the annually selected king of the krewe, and four royal pages. The float is pulled by mule and is made entirely of papier-mâché.
The Carrollton Streetcar carries the officers of the Knights of Babylon. The float pays homage to the oldest continuously running streetcar line in the United States.
Hanging Gardens of Babylon are one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Built to please the king's wife, the fabled Hanging Gardens garnered global fame and adorned the palace of Nebuchadnezzar.
Gates of Ishtar are the main gates that open to the ancient city of Babylon.
The Babylonian Barge is modeled after the barges used on the Nile River by the Babylonians and debuted in 2014.[2]
The Jester's Float traditionally carries young knights of the krewe. The Jesters Float was named in honor of the Jesters Club, the parent club of the Knights of Babylon.
Trinkets, collectables, masks, and beads tossed by hand from riders of the floats are called throws. Collectible throws from the Knights of Babylon include the light up necklaces, light up jester beads, light up streetcar necklace, and jester hats.[3]
References
^Kolb, Carolyn (February 2009). "Knight Life". New Orleans Magazine.
