Despite New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s assertions that the city consulted with all of the krewes involved when she announced drastic changes to the various Carnival season parade routes for the 2022 season, one group in particular was caught completely off-guard by a change that seemingly negates their whole reason to exist.
Nicknamed the “Parade of Shut-Ins,” the Krewe of Thoth takes their yearly jaunt down a unique route designed to bring a bit of Mardi Gras revelry to a number of facilities who would otherwise go without.
Having had time to digest the news, the krewe now says they would be willing to cut their parade short if it means they still get to roll past the communities they were created to serve, according to Uptown Messenger.
“Hopefully, we can adjust it,” Penny Larson, spokesperson for the Krewe of Thoth, told the website. “If we have to, we’ll cut the end off.”
That cutoff would mean forfeiting the downtown portion of the route, but that’s a sacrifice Larson said Thoth is willing to make and a change that would take the parade back to its original mission.
Larson also said Thoth was not included in the discussions involving route changes, despite what the mayor says.
“I am worried it may be permanent,” Larson said. “We got a call from the NOPD about cutting the route, but no details. We were floored that we were not asked.”
The mayor’s office has not responded to requests for information regarding their discussions of parade route changes and which krewes were involved in the negotiations, and Thoth is still waiting to hear if their proposed change is acceptable.
The changes were implemented due to a shortage of officers at NOPD, who has to cordon off routes and escort parades.
Children’s Hospital is just one of the medical facilities that sits along Thoth’s traditional route. Masked krewe members have mingled with the sick kids for over 75 years, handing out stuffed animals and toys before the parade’s start. Kids who are too sick to leave their rooms can still take part by watching through their windows.
Likewise, terminally ill residents at the John J. Hainkel Home and Rehabilitation Center have a long tradition dating back to World War II of being rolled out in wheelchairs and hospital beds to take part in the only parade that passes their facility.
“It’s the only parade the children and the infirm get to see all year,” Larson said of his krewe’s tradition.
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