New Orleans funk musician George Porter Jr. will reign as the king of the 2021 Krewe of BOO! Halloween parade on Saturday, Oct. 23, with Grammy-nominated performer Mannie Fresh serving as grand marshal. The parade will mark the first float parade permitted in New Orleans since the outset of the pandemic in March 2020. Parades and mass gatherings were prohibited throughout Mardi Gras 2021 due to a surge of COVID-19 infections.
Founded in 2007 by Blaine “Mr. Mardi Gras” Kern, the Krewe of BOO! was resurrected in 2013 by his son, Brian Kern. The krewe’s parade is New Orleans’s official Halloween parade and features floats by the renowned Kern Studios. Previous royalty has included former Saints players Bobby Hebert and Morten Andersen, performer Trixie Minx, WWE superstar Maryse and New Orleans attorney Stephen Rue.
George Porter Jr., photo by Bob Adamek.
Porter, most famous for his tenure as bassist for The Meters, has performed with diverse, well-known musicians, including Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, The Wild Tchoupitoulas, Jimmy Buffett, Patti LaBelle and Paul McCartney. Fresh, a producer and DJ, has worked with Lil Wayne, B.G., Juvenile, Turk, Rick Ross, Mia X and Lil Jon.
The Krewe of BOO! Parade, which will feature more than 400 riders on 13 floats and more than 30 marching, dancing and riding krewes, begins at 6:30 p.m. at the foot of Elysian Fields Avenue and rolls through the French Quarter to the Warehouse District. From Elysian Feilds the parade turns on to North Peters St. past Jackson Square to Canal Street and then onto Tchoupitoulas Street where it will conclude at the intersection of Higgins Drive.
For the first time, the Budweiser Clydesdales will be featured in the parade. The krewe has also added a salute to its monarch with a toast from the balcony of the Sheraton New Orleans at 500 Canal St. during the parade.
“The Krewe of BOO! will again seek to reduce parade waste that ends up in landfills by primarily throwing New Orleans-made food items and local collectible objects that parade goers will want to consume or keep as mementos,” said Brian Kern, chief spookster for the Krewe of BOO! Throws will include items from PJ’s Coffee, Elmer’s CheeWees, Moon Pie Minis from Chattanooga Bakery, Aunt Sally’s Pralinettes and cups from Giacona Container Corporation.
Krewe of BOO! 2021 events start Friday, October 22, with a Royal Luncheon at House of Blues, 225 Decatur St., followed by a second line parade to Pat O’Brien’s, 718 St. Peter St., for the Krewe of Boo’s Cocktail Happy Hour. On Saturday, October 23, the traditional two-mile Zombie Run, presented by PJ’s Coffee, will start off Saturday’s events at 9 a.m. Costumed runners, including the Big Easy Rollergirls of New Orleans’ women’s flat track roller derby, will start and end their run through the Warehouse District at Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant at 701 Tchoupitoulas St.
The Monster Mash After Party takes place at Generations Hall, 301 Andrew Higgins Blvd., beginning at 8 p.m. The official after-party is a ticketed costume event and will feature the Top Cats and local DJs.
The Louisiana Film Channel will live-stream the parade for the first time this year.
Information on the parade, run, luncheon and after-party is available at kreweofboo.com or on Facebook and Instagram (hashtags: #KreweofBoo, #KreweofBoo2021, #KreweofBooParade).
