re: What’s your favorite Mardi Gras parade?

I see float parades ALMOST every day that they parade Uptown (only missed the 1st Saturday) and while there are some things good and some things bad about them all, I find myself enjoying the smaller "marching" parade Krewe of Chewbacchus the most the last few years.

Much more intimate, "human scale"; almost everything (including throws) is homemade but very innovative. The artwork is clever and impressive, and the 'floats' are all human powered, either pulled by people or powered by bicycle contraptions. The sci-fi/fantasy/comic book theme is right up my alley, and the parade IS actually VERY family-friendly, unlike Krewe du Vieux a week later.

I also like the fact that it is ONE parade that goes through the Marigny and Quarter; you don't need a compound with tents and tarps, chairs or even an ice chest. I usually walk around along the route and stop and get a cocktail at a bar when I need another.

It's probably a lot like smaller neighborhood parades used to be like long ago.