Mardi Gras 2019, Part Three: So You Want to Be in a Mardi Gras Parade

Now that I've told you about the actual experience of riding in a parade and waxed poetic (or something) about my "journey," let's get down to the actual logistics of riding in a Mardi Gras parade. People have been asking me what I would do differently or what I've learned, so here you go. No state secrets are revealed (there are Mardi Gras krewe secrets), but these are my things to live by/remember for 2020.

• Make float friends. This is especially important if you're an out of towner. My group was all from out of town and thankfully, we have a wonderful group of float friends to help us. They picked things up, provided tips for everything, and are generally cool human beings. 
• Invest in glitter makeup. Y'all know I'm ore of a "a little mascara on a Saturday" makeup wearer, but I need to fully embrace glitter makeup in 2020. Not only is glitter makeup sparkly, but it's fun. And having fun is what Mardi Gras is all about.
• ALWAYS style your wig. You would think with my experience in costume design and the sheer number of drag queens I know that this would have been a Captain Obvious moment for me, but it wasn't. I didn't know we were allowed to change the overall style of the wig, but now I know we can do things that enhance but not fundamentally change the wig. This is particularly important with long wigs as I had this year. Thankfully, I had extra pins so I could pin my wig up once we were outside. I'll plan to have ponytail holders too. This is not a short hair girl thing, but I'll do my best. 
  
• Order your throws wisely. Being in a krewe is not cheap. It's not prohibitively expensive, but it's not cheap. I purchased a middle of the road bead package with some extras (cups, plush) and it was totally fine. I may up my bead purchase a bit next year (they're the easiest things to throw), but not significantly. As one of our friends told us, it's all about the kind of thrower you want to be. She's a heavy thrower, but that's not everyone's thing. I liked several of the supplemental items Kelly bought (glitter slap bracelets!), so I may add some of those next year too. Two other things to consider: glow necklaces are awesome from a volume perspective, but terrible from an assembly perspective AND only throw what you're allowed to throw. Don't ruin things for others. 
• Know the halfway point of the route. This helps gauge the best places to take breaks or spend time taking pictures and videos. It'll also help determine when you have to start throwing like a mad woman because the parade is almost over. It's somewhere on St. Charles Avenue for an Uptown route; I'm not quite sure where. 
• Everything will hurt at the end of the night and for several days after. It doesn't matter what shoes you wear or how physically fit you are, standing for approximately 7 hours hurts. Throwing stuff at people means you use muscles you don't necessarily use everyday. I'm pretty certain I got a bruise from my harness. The thing is, it's all worth it. Take a long bath, get a massage, enjoy a glass of wine. You'll be back to normal in a few days.
• Hydrate. If you drink alcohol, be aware of your alcohol to water ratio. A parade is not a race, it's a marathon. You need to make it to the end. I drink, but I don't drink that much. I limited my alcohol consumption during the pre-party. I wanted to experience the parade with fresh eyes and didn't really know what to expect. I wanted to be alert. I'm also not 25 anymore so I don't drink as much as I did back in the day. Drink in moderation and stay hydrated. Get your routine down and then decide what your limits are.
• Stay until Friday...at least. We all left at various times on Thursday. To quote Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, "Big mistake. Huge. I have to go shopping now." Not only does this apply to snotty women who work on commission on Rodeo Drive, but to Mardi Gras. Next year, I want to stay at least until Friday or Saturday if I can. I don't think I'll be able to afford staying through Mardi Gras Day, but we'll see. To paraphrase one of my friends, "It's freaking Mardi Gras, baby! Live it up!"
• Yell at me. A sign is great and fun and I know you put some time into making that. I appreciate you and your creativity. However, I can't guarantee I'm going to see it between the crowds, my mask, and my foggy glasses. Yelling is more of a sure thing. I'll post my float position, you tell me where you're going to be. I'll listen for you when we get there. I heard one of my friends and he got a purse (Kusama inspired purse). 
  
• You will hit people in the face. It's inevitable. While I was pleasantly surprised by the direct eye contact I made and the number of times I landed a throw, it doesn't always work. The float speed changes with some frequency. The wind picks up unexpectedly. People aren't really paying attention, so yes, you'll hit people. It's not intentional and is ultimately part of the experience. Also, I'm sorry. 
• St. Charles Avenue is not for the weak. St. Charles is a weird combination of families, college kids, and people staying in hotels along the avenue. I've spent so many years as a spectator on St. Charles that I never noticed how crazy it really is. It's intense and is the longest stretch of the route. My advice: take a break, refill your drink, restock/reorganize your throw. Don't panic - Lee Circle is just ahead. 
• Why, yes, there is a port-o-let on the float. No, I didn't use it. I hope I didn't ruin some illusion anyone had about floats being magical by telling you there's a portable toilet on board. I'm sorry if I did, but sometimes knowing things is better. I was on the upper level of the float, and it's not "easy" to get up there when the float is stationary. It's not hard either, but it takes attention. The ladies on the lower level also had stuff and so my pathway would take me through their stuff too. I opted to skip this entirely. Go before you leave the party, and manage your beverage intake. 
• Embrace the fanny pack. I've now written this sentence twice, and I'll write it over and over again. I don't know your fashion life, but trust me on this one. I took a bag this year, and it was a poor life choice. Thankfully, one of the novelty items was a fanny pack, and I thank the goddess for it. My fanny pack experience was amazing. All you need on the float is your ID and phone. Guess what fits perfectly in a fanny pack? I'm not saying I'm going to use it all the time, but I'll definitely be rocking it next year. 
  
• Dance, Dance, Dance! I freely admit that I'm an awkward dancer. I can dance, but I never feel really comfortable doing so. I love a rock show and enjoy rock show dancing because we know it's not the same as dancing dancing or being say, in the club. I vow to work on this for next year. Everyone knows the dances, and I want to know them too. 
• Work on your throwing arm. I did surprisingly well hitting my "marks" despite having the upper body of strength of someone who carries heavy boxes of cat litter on the regular (basically better than someone who never raises their arms, but not as good as a person who has a small child that needs wrangling on occasion). I'll have to develop a fitness regiment that I can do from the comfort of my couch. Some of the novelty items I threw don't have any weight, so I need to work on my drop skills too. 
• Save some throws for yourself. This was my first ride in Nyx, so of course I was going to keep things for myself. I also kept some things for my friends and family. It's nice to have them around to keep the spirit of Mardi Gras alive all year.
• Take pictures! We live in a society based on documentation on social media. It's what we do, so don't forget to do it here. Stuff is going to get thrown by you and everyone else in the float, so take some time to take video and pictures of the crowds, your float buddies, and whatever else is fun. My family couldn't come this year, so I wanted to make sure they could "participate" from home. I wish I had taken more, so I'm going to make a point to do this next year.
• Have fun! This shouldn't have to be said, but I'll say it anyway. I had a freaking blast and am excited for next year. I'm more of an introvert, so I know it might sometimes seem like I'm not having fun because I'm being quiet. Totally not the case. It's a lot; it's an overwhelming experience the first time, so my introvert brain has to make it all work. And it did. I enjoyed myself in the way I wanted to. I was with my friends and did something I always wanted to do. Let's get through the rest of 2019 so we can do this again!
  

So that's all from Mardi Gras 2019! I'm taking a short break from purse making and glitter, but will be back at it before I know it!

I'm taking next week off, but will return the following weekend with my next adventure: singing karaoke for the first time. Still need to figure out what the hell I'm going to sing.