View source for Krewe

{{Short description|Group of dancers in a carnival parade}}
{{distinguish|Crewe|Krew|KREW}}
[[File:Krewe of Proteus invite 1896.jpg|thumb|Invitation to the [[Krewe of Proteus]] ball, New Orleans, 1896]]
[[File:SpanishKreweTLH.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"Spanish Krewe" float at Springtime Tallahassee]]

A '''krewe''' ({{IPAc-en|k|r|uː}} {{respell|KROO}}) is a [[social organization]] that stages [[parade]]s and/or [[ball (dance event)|balls]] for the [[Carnival]] season. The term is best known for its association with [[Mardi Gras]] celebrations in [[Mardi Gras in New Orleans|New Orleans]], but is also used in other Carnival celebrations throughout Louisiana (e.g. in [[Lafayette, Louisiana|Lafayette]],  [[Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport]], and [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]]) and along the [[Gulf of Mexico]], such as the [[Gasparilla Pirate Festival]] in [[Tampa, Florida]], [[Springtime Tallahassee]], and Krewe of Amalee in [[DeLand, Florida]] with the Mardi Gras on Mainstreet Parade as well as in [[La Crosse, Wisconsin]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lacrossemardigras.com/mardigras.html |website=lacrossemardigras.com|title=What is La Crosse Mardi Gras?}}</ref> and at the [[Saint Paul Winter Carnival]].

The word is thought to have been coined in the early 19th century by a New Orleans–based organization calling themselves Ye [[Mistick Krewe of Comus]],<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/323477/krewe|title= Krewe|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=2012-06-18}}</ref> as an [[Archaism|archaic affectation]]; with time, it became the most common term for a New Orleans Carnival organization. The Mistick Krewe of Comus itself was inspired by the Cowbellion de Rakin Society that dated from 1830, a [[mystic society]] that organizes annual parades in [[Mobile, Alabama]].<ref name=MMtime>{{cite web|title= Carnival/Mobile Mardi Gras Timeline|website=The Museum of Mobile|date= 2002|url= http://www.museumofmobile.com/html/mardi_gras_timeline.php|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20041213191322/http://www.museumofmobile.com/html/mardi_gras_timeline.php|url-status= dead|archive-date= 2004-12-13}} (List of events.)</ref> 

The krewe system then spread from Mobile and New Orleans to other towns and cities with French Catholic heritage, including those with their own Mardi Gras traditions (such as the [[Courir de Mardi Gras]]). Following those of New Orleans, Louisiana's next-oldest krewes are mostly based near [[Lafayette, Louisiana|Lafayette]], which crowned its first [[Rex parade|Rex]]-style monarch, King Attakapas, in 1897.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dodge |first=Victoria |title=Relive Lafayette's Mardi Gras history as captured in the pages of The Daily Advertiser |url=https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/2020/01/30/lafayette-mardi-gras-history-told-through-daily-advertiser-articles/4477465002/ |access-date=2023-02-07 |website=The Daily Advertiser |language=en-US}}</ref> The state's oldest extant children's krewe, Oberon, is also based in Lafayette, and was founded in 1928.<ref>[https://gomardigras.com/krewes/oberon.html Oberon]</ref>

==Membership==
Krewe members are assessed fees in order to pay for the parade or ball. Fees can range from thousands of dollars a year per person for the most elaborate parades, to as little as $20 a year for smaller [[marching band|clubs]]. Criteria for krewe membership vary similarly, ranging from exclusive organizations largely limited to relatives of previous members to other organizations open to anyone able to pay the membership fee. Krewes with low membership fees may also require members to work to help build and decorate the [[float (parade)|parade floats]] and make their own costumes; higher priced krewes hire professionals to do this work. Parading krewe members are usually responsible for buying their own [[Mardi gras throws|throws]] such as beads and coins, which are thrown to parade spectators according to tradition.
Some krewes also have other events, such as private dances or parties, for members throughout the year. Some also make a point of supporting charities and good causes.  

Some krewes restrict their membership to one sex, while others allow co-ed membership. For example, the [[Krewe of Endymion]] from New Orleans and [[Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla]] from Tampa are currently restricted to men only.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/article_41dae692-0679-5c31-8d35-29761cf462dd.html|title=At 50, Endymion is the largest krewe in New Orleans, but it wasn't always 'super'|last=Hardy|first=Arthur|date=February 8, 2016|work=The New Orleans Advocate|access-date=June 29, 2018}}</ref> Examples of female-only krewes include the New Orleans' [[Krewe of Cleopatra]] and [[Krewe of Muses]] and Tampa's Krewe of Venus.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/mardi-gras-sisterhood/Content?oid=1247172|title=Mardi Gras Sisterhood: All-female krewes are redefining Carnival -- with a woman's touch|last=Winkler-Schmit|first=David|date=February 13, 2007|work=Gambit|access-date=June 29, 2018}}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://gonola.com/things-to-do-in-new-orleans/history/nola-history-women-in-carnival|title=NOLA History: Women in Carnival|last=Branley|first=Edward|date=February 6, 2018|work=GoNola.com|access-date=June 29, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Guzzo |first1=Paul |title=Diverse Gasparilla parade has transcended insult of racism |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/diverse-gasparilla-parade-has-transcended-insult-of-racism/2310173/ |access-date=January 14, 2020 |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=January 23, 2017 |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Carnival society]]
* [[Comparsa]]
* [[Krew (disambiguation)]]
* [[Crew (disambiguation)]]
* [[New Years Associations]]
* [[Samba school]]
* [[Second line (parades)]]

== References ==
{{reflist|35em}}

{{Mardi Gras in New Orleans}}

[[Category:Mardi Gras in New Orleans]]
[[Category:Carnivals]]
[[Category:Clubs and societies in the United States]]