Party Planner 2024-2025

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Orléans cathedral prop, depicting the cathedral light show in celebration of the sister city relationship with New Orleans, photo by Kim Welsh

Mark your calendar: 2025 Pre-Parade Events with Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc

Membership is up, and people are buzzing with new ideas and projects, from our new Suffragists section to our new Blessing Joan lighted giant puppet. Be part of the fun!

  • Monday, December 9, 7-9  p.m. Coronation party/kick-off meeting at the Degas House. Krewe-only meeting of our royalty and young Maid of Honor
  • Wednesday, January 1, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. New Year’s Work Party, last throw pick-up and foot soldier costume pickup at St. Andrews Parish Hall
  • Saturday, January 4, 7-9:30 p.m. Pre-Parade Dinner Party at Livaudais Hall  (Get your tickets!)
  • Sunday, January 5, 9 a.m.-noon Mass at Saint Louis Cathedral, second line and jazz brunch at Market Cafe (Get your tickets!)
  • PARADE REVISED ROUTE AND LATER START TIME!!!!!
    • Monday, January 6, 5:45-7:30 p.m. Line-up at 90 French Market Place (the French Market vendor parking lot)
    • Monday, January 6, 8 p.m. PARADE!!!!
  • Member Resources: throws store, throws guide and costume guide

Details of all Events Below

royal crowns and armor waiting to be presented to the court

Wednesday, Dec. 9th Coronation and Kick-Off Party at the Degas House

Kick off the season with this very special krewe-only “mandatory” party announcing our 2025 king, queen and Maid of Honor as well as other updates and important “know-before-you-go” information. Full members, group members and foot soldier volunteers are all invited to this coronation and kick-off party 7-9 p.m. This is an important moment of unity for our krewe, and we hope krewe members will do everything in their power to be part of it. 

  • FREE. The Degas House has donated their courtyard and house! Cash bar and hors d’oeuvres.
  • We’ll announce our 2025 Maid of Honor (award to a local teen leader), Queen Yolande (community award to a female business leader), and King Charles VII (award to a community leader who embodies New Orleans’ French connection). 
  • Signature throw orders will be ready for pick-up (pre-order your throws!) and on-site sale. 
  • Dress: holiday party/krewe colors of blue and gold, krewe bling (not costumes). 
  • In addition to street parking, there is a parking lot! (entrance at 1411 North Rocheblave Street, map)
  • Degas House owner David Villarubia was our first king in 2010. The Degas House, where Impressionist painter Edgar Degas lived and worked, is one of the few official French national landmarks outside of France, and David was knighted for his work on the award-winning restoration and museum. Thank you, King David, for donating this space for our party!

Wednesday, January 1: New Year’s Work Party

Most members have a reason to at least stop by this workshop, which makes it a bustling party. Full members will be picking up throws, foot soldiers will be picking up costumes, and everyone will be working on making our signature tea light throws. 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the Parish Hall of Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church at the corner of Carrollton and Zimple (1031 S. Carrollton, map). Enter from the side door on Zimple. Show off your own projects or bring a snack or wine to share if you like.  Delicious holiday leftovers welcome. Dress: casual.

 

Saturday, January 4: Pre-Parade Medieval Banquet at Livaudais Hall

We’ll have king cake, a hot buffet supper, wine at your table, and medieval music, 7-9:30 p.m. Caterer Jacques-Imo’s makes us a medieval roast pig and a full medieval menu of roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, and fig compote.  We’ll be welcoming the French “Jeanne d’Arc” and the rest of the delegation from our sister city Orléans, France. Luke Brechtelsbauer and friends will entertain us with medieval music, and we’ll have a drum and chant performance of Joan’s trial. Show off your beautiful medieval costume and share a sneak preview of your throws with friends! All paraders are invited — full members, honoraries and their entourage, group members, performers, and foot soldier volunteers. Paraders may also purchase non-member tickets for your guests. Tickets are $65 for members, $15 extra for non-members. BUT after  December 25th, ticket prices will increase to $75, and after January 1, ticket prices will increase to $85, so buy your ticket now! Dress: Medieval costumes are strongly encouraged. Many krewe members (including foot soldier volunteers) wear their parade costumes.  There is ample street parking near the hall. 
* – Yes, the banquet ticket price has increased, but please note that even with this increase and a sell-out crowd, ticket sales do not quite cover the cost of the event.  We DO expect a sell-out though, so get your ticket now.

Photo by Gary H. Jones

Sunday, January 5th: Mass, Second Line and Jazz Brunch

Join your fellow krewe members for 9 a.m. worship at Saint Louis Cathedral the Sunday before the parade. In the spirit of Joan, worship is the way to begin any important endeavor!  After mass, the Soul Heirs Band will lead us in a jam and second line 4 blocks from the Cathedral to the Joan of Arc statue, where we’ll do a jazz brunch at Market Cafe.  You can attend the mass, second line, brunch or all three, but you’ll need an advance ticket for the brunch.  Dress: second line spirit, krewe colors blue and gold, krewe gear, medieval-inspired (not costumes).

Monday, January 6

 

Parade starts at French Market Place and Barracks,NOTE NEW LINE-UP LOCATION, REVISED ROUTE AND LATER START TIME

Report to French Market vendor parking lot around 90 French Market Place to line up (map), costumed, ready to go, and carrying only what you plan to carry in the parade.  Foot soldiers and leaders will arrive by 5:45 p.m. to unload the props; full members should be there no later than 6:30 p.m. to roll the parade at 8 p.m. sharp.  Arrive in costume. Come early so you have time to see everything and get your photo taken. Best parking is in Premium Parking Lot P407, the long lot running along the river behind the French Market.

8 p.m. Parade!!!! 

We’ll kick off Carnival season at 8 p.m. sharp, make our stops to salute the Joan of Arc statue, the sword blessing ceremony at the Cathedral, toasts in French and English to our court, and the king cake ceremony at Oscar Dunn Park (sidewalk amphitheater by Cafe Du Monde). (Route and stop details)  The new route is about the same length and does the same stops in a different order. Remember that we are a family-friendly parade and also a saint procession with a ceremony at the Cathedral.  Please hold off on the adult beverages until after the parade. We’ll be done around 9:45 p.m.; surely you can wait that long!

Members Only website 

Remember, the Members Only page (password:   Joan1412  )  is where you can order throws, view and order prints of last year’s photos from our amazing volunteer photographers, and find the costume guide, throws guide, downloadable logos, relevant coats of arms, and characters wanted.  And our online Joan library is full of not only books but also music, movies and TV shows.