Coming Up….

• Membership is open for 2027
• Fête Française: Saturday, March 21, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. (volunteers needed!)
• Suffragists planning meeting: Sunday, March 22, 5-7 p.m. 
• Book Club: Saturday, March 28, 10 a.m., Croissant d’Or

Details below, more events on our website calendar

Fête Française — volunteers needed

Enjoy a big French street festival with food and live music at Pershing and Magazine from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday, March 21, and support Ecole Bilingue, one of our partner French immersion schools.

Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc plans to have an information table at the festival and we REALLY NEED more volunteers to take some shifts staffing the table, especially starting about 10 a.m. to set up. It’s ideal if you can work in costume. Let us know if you can help!

Suffragists planning meeting (Suffragists or prospective Suffragists only!)

Drop in to Dat Dog (5030 Freret St., map) this Sunday, March 22, from 5-7 p.m. to meet our Suffragists group of the Joan of Arc Parade Legacy Section. We’ll be making plans for the 2027 Joan of Arc Parade. If you think you might like to be a suffragist or just want some info on the Joan of Arc Parade, we’d love to meet you! ~Carol Lynch 504-343-5327.  Women fighting for the right to vote often used images of Joan on their posters and even costumed as Joan of Arc on horseback at rallies. Our parade includes a group costumed as suffragists in our Legacy battalion. 

Full membership is open for 2027!

Full membership is open for the 2026-2027 year leading up to the January 6, 2027, parade!  Membership prices will increase at the close of Joan’s Feast Day (May 30) and again at All Saints Day (Nov. 1), so get yours early to get the best rate.  After much discussion, the board decided not to raise membership dues in order to keep the krewe accessible. We hope that those who can afford it will opt for a higher level of membership.  Join online here!

Book Club March 28: Pelican Girls

The next book club meeting will be 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 28, at Croissant d’Or Patisserie (617 Ursuline Ave., map). 

Pelican Girls:

Book description: Paris, 1720. La Salpêtrière hospital is in crisis: too many occupants, not enough beds. Halfway across the world, France’s colony in the wilds of North America has space to spare and needs families to fill it. So the director of the hospital rounds up nearly a hundred female “volunteers” of childbearing age—orphans, prisoners, and mental patients—to be shipped to New Orleans.

Book Club

• Free and open to all. (No requirement to be a krewe member!)
• Books available at Frenchmen Art and Books.
• Book Club coordinater: Krewe founder Amy Kirk Duvoisin
• We have planned an in-person discussion of each book, but we may add a second discussion session on Zoom if there’s enough interest. Let us know if you would be interested in a Zoom discussion.
• Members of the book club voted to select one book about New Orleans history and one book about Joan of Arc this year.

Coming Up….

• Krewe social: Tuesday, March 3, 6 p.m. at Oak and Ale
• Fête Française: Saturday, March 21 — need volunteers
• Book Club: Saturday, March 28, 10 a.m

Details below, more events on our website calendar

Krewe social Tuesday March 3, 6-8 p.m.

We’ll hang out at Oak and Ale (8118 Oak St., map). Get to know other krewe members, swap ideas, and ask questions. These socials usually have no program or agenda and are simply a relaxed hang-out session. Prospective members welcome. Drop in when you can, stay as long as you like.

Fête Française Saturday March 21, 11:00 – 5:00 p.m.

The Fête Française street festival celebrates all things French in New Orleans, with a full music line-up, food from French restaurants, kids games and more. It’s a fundraiser for one of our French immersion school partners, Ecole Bilingue. We need volunteer krewe members to work our information table (in costume is best). Volunteers can work in shifts; you don’t have to cover the whole day. Sign up to volunteer!

Book Club March 28: Pelican Girls

The next book club meeting will be 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, March 28, location to be determined. 

Pelican Girls:

Book description: Paris, 1720. La Salpêtrière hospital is in crisis: too many occupants, not enough beds. Halfway across the world, France’s colony in the wilds of North America has space to spare and needs families to fill it. So the director of the hospital rounds up nearly a hundred female “volunteers” of childbearing age—orphans, prisoners, and mental patients—to be shipped to New Orleans.

Book Club:

• Free and open to all. (No requirement to be a krewe member!)
• Books available at Frenchmen Art and Books.
• Book Club coordinater: Krewe founder Amy Kirk Duvoisin
• We have planned an in-person discussion of each book, but we may add a second discussion session on Zoom if there’s enough interest. Let us know if you would be interested in a Zoom discussion.
• Members of the book club voted to select one book about New Orleans history and one book about Joan of Arc this year.

Krewe members (all types of membership) are invited to attend “A celebration to send off the Jeanne d’Arc French delegation” featuring live music by jazz pianist Victor Campbell, with special guest “Jeanne d’Arc” Capucine Delaloy, hosted by the New Orleans Jazz Museum and the New Orleans Rotary Club.

• 5:00 p.m. Museum Tour
• 6:00 p.m. Jazz Concert with Victor Campbell

French delegation:

• Capucine Delaloy, Jeanne d’Arc from Orléans 
• Madame Bénédicte Baranger Pres
• Marie-Catherine Mercier secretary Jeanne d’Arc Organization in Orleans France

Leave NO TRASH anywhere

Krewes can be fined for trash left on the parade route or at the line-up. Make sure you do not drop any packaging or trash anywhere. Carry it until you find a trash can. The permit is expensive enough without adding fines for litter bugs.

Hot 8 Brass Band at the Jazz Museum at parade end

The regular Tuesday Live! From the Jazz Museum Balcony concert will take place in a special late time slot at 9:30 p.m., right across the street from our parade endpoint, right after our parade. Be sure to return any costumes and props to the props truck first!  Then stick around to enjoy the show, and remember to thank our 2026 King Greg Lambousy, director of the New Orleans Jazz Museum!  You may want to stash lawn chairs in your car if you’re parking near the parade endpoint, because seating is not provided for the outdoor concert.  Note: This is not a krewe after-party — it’s the regular Tuesday Live! public concert for the Jazz Museum.

French Send-Off Thursday evening at the Jazz Museum

Krewe members (all types of membership) are invited to attend “A celebration to send off the Jeanne d’Arc French delegation” featuring live music by jazz pianist Victor Campbell, with special guest Jeanne d’Arc Capucine Delaloy, hosted by the New Orleans Jazz Museum and the New Orleans Rotary Club.

• 5:00 p.m. Museum Tour
• 6:00 p.m. Jazz Concert with Victor Campbell

French delegation:

• Capucine Delaloy, Jeanne d’Arc from Orléans 
• Madame Bénédicte Baranger Pres
• Marie-Catherine Mercier secretary Jeanne d’Arc Organization in Orleans France

Parade Day Instructions

Birthday Battalion

1.10 Front banner
1.12 Music Group: Herald trumpets
1.20 Birthday cake and jesters

Domrémy Battalion

2.00 Title banner – Domrémy
2.10 Krewe de Fleurs and Maypole
2.10 Group credit banner: Fleurs
2.20 Sheep & Shepherds
2.20 Child “Joan”
2.30 School Groups

Voices of Joan Battalion

3.00 barrier banner “Called”
3.10 Title banner – Voices of Joan
3.10 Voices battalion “Joan”
3.10 Quote banner “One life is”
3.20 Wheel prop, St. Catherine, and Wheel Team
3.20 Voices full members
3.30 Quote banner “I heard a voice….”
3.30 St. Michael and Cloud prop and team
3.30 Music group: Angel Army Choir (by F.O.R.C.E.)
3.40 Dragon, St. Margaret and team

Knights Battalion

4.00 Barrier Banner “Battled”
4.10 Performance Group: Flag Corp (by NOLA Angels)
4.10 Flag Corp group credit banner “Cities Joan Liberated Flag Corps”
4.20 Bagpipes group credit banner “Joan’s Scottish Allies starring Kilts of Many Colors”
4.20 Music Group: Bagpipes
4.20 Hand Cannoneers
4.25 White wood horse and Knights Battalion “Joan”
4.30 Coat of arms pennant banner #1
4.40 Quote banner “I am not afraid”
4.40 Quote banner “I fear nothing”
4.50 Cavalry board (stick ponies)
4.55 Coat of arms pennant banner #2
4.60 Knights full members
4.60 Cannon and Cannon team
4.60 Music: Cannon drummers
4.65 Coat of arms pennant banner #3
4.70 Wall (Orléans)

Orléans Battalion

5.00 Quote banner “Trust in God”
5.10 Orléans Full Members
6.00 Banquet banners (2, tall krewe logo)
6.00 Big replica Joan banner
6.00 Title banner – Maid
6.15 Barrier Banner old St. Joan
6.20 Horse security with rope
6.20 Maid of Honor “Joan” on live horse
6.10 Maid’s entourage

Royalty Battalion

7.00 Music Group: King’s Band
7.10 Barrier banner – royalty crown
7.20 Title banner – Queen Yolande
7.20 Title banner – King Charles VII
7.20 Royal pedicabs, side by side
7.30 Royal entourage

Joan’s Trial Battalion

9.00 Barrier banner JUDGED
9.10 Quote banner “Bishop, I die through you!”
9.10 Music Group: Joan’s Rhythmic Inquisition

Flaming Heretics Battalion

10.00 Barrier banner BURNED
10.10 Flaming Heretics title banner
10.20 Joan the Flaming Heretic character
10.25 Flaming Heretics full members (dressed as flames)
10.30 Muff-a-Lottas
10.30 Muff-a-Lottas credit banner “Dancing Flames”

Restoration Battalion (celebrating the re-trial that declared Joan innocent)

11.00 Barrier Banner – Innocent
11.00 Title banner – Restoration
11.10 Quote banner — “In infamous and irreparable”
11.10 Quote banner — “She never thought…”
11.20 3 rose windows “lollipop”
11.21 Restoration Full members
11.22 Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral rolling prop
11.30 Costumed gargoyles with bells
11.31 Notre Dame de Rouen Cathedral rolling prop
11.32 Rotary Group: Monks with medieval manuscripts
11.33 Music Group: Archbishop Shaw band members costumed as pike men
11.40 Rotary Group: Monks with banners and signs
11.41 Visiting Orléans delegation, folding in at the HNOC
11.42 Orléans Cathedral rolling prop

Saint Joan Battalion (canonization of Joan)

12.00 Barrier banner: Sainted
12.10 Title banner: Saint Joan
12.10 Chorus Girl Angels
12.15 Chorus Girls group credit banner “Saint Joan with the angels starring The Chorus Girls” (1)
12.20 Canopy over Joan statue carried on litter (carry on shoulders)

Legacy Battalion (Joan’s legacy through history into our modern world)

13.00 Joanie on pony trike
13.10 Barrier Banner “Legacy”
13.20 Women Warriors group credit banner “Women Warriors”
13.20 Women Warriors
13.30 Suffragists
13.30 Suffragists overhead banner
13.50 Dollies
13.60 Barrier banner: Blessing
13.60 Barrier banner: Blessing
13.61 Blessing Joan puppet and team

This Year, We Embrace the Miracle of Joan’s Courageous Heart

This January 6th we celebrate eighteen years of marching in the French Quarter, bringing a moving spectacle of beauty, light and love through the telling of Joan of Arc’s story and her legacy. Our theme this year is “Courage”, inspired by the selected Joan of Art contest piece by local Jackson Square Artist Tara Gass-Baden, featured in this year’s medallion.

We are indeed an Army of Artists…in a world gone mad with technology, we are using our hands and hearts to create extraordinary pageantry and make human connections as we walk. Our collaborations, creations, and year-round community building through Joan are the keys to our krewe’s success.  Thank you for joining us in this battle for more beauty, more humanity, and more creativity!

If love is a battlefield, we are winning.

But, don’t let these militaristic terms arouse you too much to take up your sword.  Remember, Joan fought with her banner only! Indeed, the word courage comes from the Latin root cor, meaning “heart,” evolving through Old French corage (heart, feelings) to its current sense of bravery. But it originally meant “to speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart” or showing one’s innermost feelings. It entered English around the 1300s, and its meaning evolved over time to focus more on valor.
But, much like our parade’s simple beginnings, the word was meant to convey something profoundly basic: Speaking your heart.

It is no coincidence that this year’s wooden doubloon image is in fact Joan of Arc’s heart. Because “Joan’s heart did not burn. “

While there is scientific reason for this, the miraculous version is more poetic: Her heart did not burn because nothing can destroy love. Her executioners could never destroy her love for God and for France. Her heart is eternal, and so is she!

This year, we embrace the miracle of Joan’s courageous heart.

And like the word courage, the word miracle has a simple definition as well. At its core it means “a wonderful thing”. It comes from the Latin miraculum, meaning “object of wonder,” derived from mirari (“to wonder at”) and mirus (“wonderful”). 

Like the story of Joan’s indestructible heart, the Joan of Arc Parade is a miracle, and a wonderful thing– thanks to all of you!  Your endless dedication and generosity these past two decades–and especially this year — keeps us building, sharing, conversing and creating events inspired by Joan, who inspires us all.

Let’s go forth and bring love into 2026– with courage, heart and wonder!

As Joan said during the Siege of Orleans:  “Courage! Do not fall back; in a little the place will be yours!” 

On January 6, the place is ours. 

Happy 614th Birthday, Joan!  Allons-y!

Amy Kirk Duvoisin
Founder
President, Joan of Project LLC
French Knight of Arts and Letters
www.JoanOfArcParade.org

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Church at 1031 S. Carrollton. Use the side entrance on Zimple St.

All throws ready for pick-up!

Purchased Signature Throws Pick-Up

If you placed an online pre-order for throws, you can pick your throws up at the New Year’s Work Party. ALL the throws orders will be on site for pick-up regardless of which pick-up date you specified on your order. You can get your throws early at the New Year’s Work Party even if you specified a banquet pick-up (and every order picked up today is an order we don’t have to carry to the banquet!) 

“Free” Throws Pick-Up

Full members get a packet of throws included “free” with your membership: 20 tea lights, 20 prayer cards, a box of 50 matches, a collector pack of one of each of this year’s playing cards, and 5 wood doubloons. These packets are for full members only — not companion members. These packets MUST be picked up at the New Year’s Work Party by 2:30 p.m. If you are unable to pick up your throws bag today, the best strategy is to get a krewe friend to pick yours up for you.  Or, text Captain Amanda 504-940-4976 to have her reserve your bag and make arrangements to pick it up from her.  No throws bags will be brought to the parade line-up. 

At 2:30 p.m., throws bags not either picked up or reserved will be distributed to others. So if you’d like to score some extras, hang around until 2:30! The reason we do it this way is that one bag of 20 tea lights is easy to manage, but they are fragile and awkward to transport in bulk at a time when leaders’ cars are usually packed to the roof with other things.

Parade Wristbands

Get your parade wristband today!  If you already have your wristband, bypass the check-in at line-up and go straight to your place in the line-up.

Thursday, 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. Group leaders and full members should pick up parade wristbands. 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.

Action items:

• Volunteers needed: Sign up to help with loading in, packing out, food, wristband distribution or sale table
• If you picked up tea light kits to assemble, be sure to bring your assembled tea lights at the start of the work party (at 11 a.m.) so we can add the other goodies to member throw bags and get them ready for pick-up.

Pick up your costume TODAY — January 1st

11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Church, 1031 S. Carrollton, use side entrance on Zimple Street

According to our records, YOU have not picked up your costume yet! 

Thank you so much for signing up to be a foot soldier in Joan of Arc’s Army!  Remember that you MUST pick up your costume before parade day.

Today, you can not only pick up your costume but also enjoy our New Year’s Work Party. Hang out, meet other krewe members, eat, hear the Angel Army Choir, and help with last-minute krewe projects. Most krewe members have a reason to stop by, so it’s a fun gathering.

More about the foot soldier costumes: Foot Soldier Costume Guide  Note that the foot soldier costumes require you to wear dark solid color clothes underneath. Leggings or pants tucked into tall boots look especially good!  Don’t forget to wear your own medieval shoes!  Here’s our medieval shoes guide — you can probably find something medieval-looking in your closet.

Today is the last costume pick-up. Please make every possible effort to get your costume today. If you absolutely cannot pick up your costume today, you will need to annoy Captain Antoinette by making special arrangements to get your costume 504-717-1451 during these few days before the parade when her schedule is already jam-packed. This option should be strictly a last resort. 

NEW ROUTE AND START TIME: DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS

Upcoming Help Needed

Workshops at Captain Amanda’s (7330 Sycamore, map):

• 5:30-8:30 p.m. Today Tuesday Dec. 30 (throws)
• 1-4 p.m. Saturday January 3 (props)
• 1-4 p.m. Sunday January 4 (props)

January 1: Work Party, Throws Pick-Up, and Foot Soldier Costume Pick-Up, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Church (1031 S. Carrollton, enter at side door on Zimple)
January 5: Banquet volunteers needed 
January 6: Props trucks drivers needed
Scroll down for details below!

Workshops Tonight, Saturday and Sunday

Tonight we’re still focused on throws, but will switch to props after the New Year’s Work Party!

Come craft with us at the home of krewe captain Amanda Helm at 7330 Sycamore St. We’ll be working 2026 saint medallions and other throws.  These are a great way to connect with other krewe members, get your questions answered, show off your own krewe projects, and bounce ideas. FYI for those with allergies, Lady Jane the cat does live here. 

Workshops at Captain Amanda’s:

• 5:30-8:30 p.m. Today Tuesday Dec. 30 (throws)
• 1-4 p.m. Saturday January 3 (props)
• 1-4 p.m. Sunday January 4 (props)

Thursday, 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. Group leaders and full members should pick up parade wristbands. 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.

Action items:

• Volunteers needed: Sign up to help with loading in, packing out, food, wristband distribution or sale table
• Place your purchased throws and keepsakes orders now to pick up at New Year’s
• Help get ready for the big work party: Throws and prop workshops at Captain Amanda’s house 7330 Sycamore St. (map): Monday December 28 2-6 p.m., and 5:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday December 29.
• If you picked up tea light kits to assemble, be sure to bring your assembled tea lights at the start of the work party (at 11 a.m.) so we can add the other goodies to member throw bags and get them ready for pick-up.

Drivers Needed for 2 Props Trucks

We need two drivers for props trucks on parade day!  Contact Captain Antoinette if you can help: 504-717-1451

Banquet Check-In Desk Volunteers needed

You can get a complimentary banquet ticket if you are working the check-in desk. Contact Joan Fox 504-427-2877 if you can help with this!  

Banquet Set-Up and Pack-Out Volunteers Needed!

Sign up here! 

Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc delegates needed for Krampus Party and Ceremony Jan. 5 after our medieval banquet

 Since 2020, leaders of the Krewe of Krampus and Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc have done a ceremony in which Krewe of Krampus passes the light of Yule (Christmas) over to Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc representing the transition from Yule season to Carnival season. For the last few years we’ve been doing this at the Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc medieval banquet, but this year Krampus is hosting a party and would like some representatives of the Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc to come to the Krampus party in your medieval garb to complete the ceremony around 10 p.m. AFTER our own medieval banquet on January 5th. Up to six delegates from Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc can get complimentary admission for the Krampus party. Contact Captain Amanda to sign up to be a delegate.

We need your help to fund this year’s parade!

We expect our 18th annual parade on January 6, 2026, to be our best, but it is important that you realize this will be our most challenging year to date. Police fees are expected to cost us five to eight times what we have paid in past years. Coupled with dramatically rising costs for insurance and storage, and a potential increase in our required parade clean-up contract, the krewe finds itself suddenly looking at a cost increase of about 20% of our total annual budget. We hope our new route will keep the increase on the lower end of that range, but it is still well beyond the cushion in our budget.

Our all-volunteer krewe gives thousands of hours of our time and creativity as well as our money to gift this parade to our city!  If you have ever said we are your favorite parade (we hear this all the time!), or that this parade has started your Carnival season with depth and meaning or has saved your spirit in some way, please help to sustain and build our beautiful spectacle. We need our fan support now!

Donation Match /mark>

Thank you to the current krewe members who stepped up just before Christmas with donations. An anonymous donor has generously pledged to match dollar-for-dollar contributions received from Dec. 15th through January 1st, up to $2,000. 

Thank you to our donors

We want to thank those who have already given extra gifts beyond membership — they are truly needed this year, now more than ever!  We would like to acknowledge those who gave donor-level memberships:

• Patron Saints: George Corey, Cynthia Krus (aka Artist Cleo), Richard and Judy Helm, Irwin Langhoff, Jane and Lenny Caruso, Terri Wilkinson and Judy Sheon, and one anonymous donor.
• Nobility Members: Ed Azemas and Charles Coleman, Cathy Rehfus-Wilsek and Richard Wilsek, and Ember and David Mandell.
• Cavalry Members: Columbia Barrosse, Tonya Brown, John and Frannie Conner, Alex and Suzanne Labry, Rachel Lyons, and Kirk and Amy Ruffo.

We also thank the many krewe members who have donated their time. We are an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff. In fact, the captains, Founder Amy, and all our board members are paying members who purchase their throws and tickets. The skills and creative artistry our members contribute is priceless!