--- description: How the annual celebration went from elitism to inclusiveness title: Mardi Gras in New Orleans: How Parades and Krewes Have Evolved image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltea6d94221f8b6eec/69877e7ba988ca79116ac60e/mardi-gras.jpeg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [History](/section/history/) ## History Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [society](/tag/society/) ## society Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # How Mardi Gras Became a Party for Everyone  by [Lily Rothman](/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Feb 17, 2015 12:00 PM CUT  Revelers toss confetti at float of Momus, patron god of Mardi Gras, in New Orleans in 1960 Revelers toss confetti at float of Momus, patron god of Mardi Gras, in New Orleans in 1960John E. Fletcher and Robert F. Sisson—National Geographic/Getty Images  by [Lily Rothman](/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Feb 17, 2015 12:00 PM CUT These days, Mardi Gras in New Orleans — which falls on Feb. 17 this year — is a party for all. But, not that long ago, Mardi Gras celebrations were more exclusive affairs. As TIME [reported](http://time.com/vault/issue/1948-02-09/page/25 "undefined") in the Feb. 9, 1948, issue, balls and “krewes” were for the city’s elites only, and that situation lasted for decades after [the first Mardi Gras parade](http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/history-faqs.html#sixteen "undefined") was held in the 1850s. In the 20th century, however, the celebration expanded: --- > “” --- By the 1940s, there were krewe options galore. “Italian krewes, Irish krewes, German krewes… krewes for college men, businessmen, professional men,” TIME wrote. “To the horror of New Orleans’ old guard, there are even krewes for women.” But that didn’t mean Mardi Gras was an all-inclusive celebration. The krewes may have multiplied, but they were still separated along racial and gender lines. As recently as 1991, the relative exclusivity of the Mardi Gras krewes was a source of controversy in New Orleans. That December, the city council voted to require the krewes to integrate by 1994, or else lose the right to hold parades. (The krewes are private clubs, but the city controls the streets.) As TIME [reported](http://time.com/vault/issue/1992-02-17/page/34/ "undefined"), the reaction was big but not exactly easy: --- > “” --- At the time, the city was majority African-American, but polls showed that even most black voters did not want to integrate the krewes. At the time, many who opposed the change [argued](http://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/02/us/bias-law-casts-pall-over-new-orleans-mardi-gras.html?pagewanted=2 "undefined") that the krewes’ make-ups were a matter of tradition, not discrimination. However, as the article noted, the barriers were not just racial, but also along religion, sexual and ethnic lines — and krewe membership was important for a lot more than a parade, as it went hand-in-hand with business, social and political networks. Though the measure was weakened — single-sex krewes were allowed, for example — it was enough to keep some of the oldest and most stubborn krewes from ever parading again, as the number and size of the integrated krewes expanded. Two decades later, there are [dozens of krewes](http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/parades.html "undefined") that organize balls and parade floats. And, as the _Times-Picayune_‘s James Gill [observed](http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2012/02/legacy%5Fof%5Fformer%5Fnew%5Forleans%5Fc.html "undefined") recently, it’s easy to tell that the krewes have modernized and opened up: where they were once the domain of money and blue blood, these days membership applications to many krewes are available to anyone with an Internet connection. ### Mardi Gras: Rare Vintage Photos From America's Most Famous Party  Mardi Gras, New Orleans, 1938. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mardi Gras, New Orleans, 1938. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mardi Gras decorations, New Orleans, 1938. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mardi Gras revelers, New Orleans, 1938. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mardi Gras float, New Orleans, 1938. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mardi Gras revelers, New Orleans, 1938. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mardi Gras revelers, New Orleans, 1938. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mardi Gras costumes, New Orleans, 1938. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mardi Gras mask, 1938. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mardi Gras in New Orleans, 1938\. (Some predominately African American "krewes" -- especially the Zulu -- are known, even today, for wearing blackface during the parade.) William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mardi Gras parade participant, 1938\. (Some predominately African American "krewes" -- especially the Zulu -- are known, even today, for wearing blackface during the parade.) William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mardi Gras, New Orleans, 1938\. (Some predominately African American "krewes" -- especially the Zulu -- are known, even today, for wearing blackface during the parade.) William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  New Orleans, 1938. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mardi Gras crowd, New Orleans, 1938. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mardi Gras souvenir sign, 1938. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mardi Gras revelers in costume, 1938. William Vandivert—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3703165/mardi-gras-crew-history/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3703165/mardi-gras-crew-history/"},"headline":"How Mardi Gras Became a Party for Everyone","datePublished":"2015-02-17T12:00:56.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:05:43.933Z","description":"For many years, the celebration was a much more exclusive affair","url":"https://time.com/3703165/mardi-gras-crew-history/","keywords":["society","new orleans","faith","carnival","holiday"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltea6d94221f8b6eec/69877e7ba988ca79116ac60e/mardi-gras.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lily Rothman","jobTitle":"Rothman is managing editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/"}],"articleSection":"History","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltea6d94221f8b6eec/69877e7ba988ca79116ac60e/mardi-gras.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Mardi Gras","caption":"Mardi Gras","creditText":"John E. 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