Throw me somethin’ mister!
With floats, dance teams, bands and cheerleaders, the Krewe of Des Allemands parade will roll Sunday, March 2 at 1 p.m., according to Mitzi Tregle Petit, member of the Des Allemands Carnival Krewe Committee.
“Our parade is not the biggest, but we are very proud of it,” Petit said. “After a few years of negative comments about our lack of floats, we no longer publicize the number. Five floats or 100 floats, we are still going to roll and have a good time, too.”
Petit said she expects between thirty to forty units, with Jr. ROTC leading the parade again this year. The parade route begins on Whitley Road before traveling up to U.S. Highway 90, turning into the town’s business district, heading down Dejean Street toward Old Spanish Trail and then backing up Lorraine Drive to the highway.
The Krewe of Des Allemands parade has humble beginnings, Petit said.
“Kids rode their bikes in the parade,” Petit said. “The American Legion started the parade, then the Lions Club took over, and eventually community members.”
Krewe of Des Allemands has been parading for more than 60 years. After the Lions Club stopped organizing the parade in 1994, community members got together and restarted the parade the next year.
“Now 30 years later we are still parading and hope to continue to do so for years to come,” Petit said. “This is a great family event that brings our community together.”
Petit said the committee hopes to get more people involved in the parade.
“The community has lost a lot of our traditions in the past few years, so it’s important to save what we have left and that is the parade committee’s biggest goal,” she said. “The Des Allemands parade is such a fun event, and it brings people together. Everyone looks forward to it every year and the parade committee woks hard to make it happen.”
Petit joined the parade committee in 2014 after her mom, Debbie Matherne Tregle, gave her a lecture about the younger generation needing to get involved.
“My mom participated in the parade since she was a kid,” Petit said. “On her bike, marching with her baton, as a maid and eventually on a float. Mardi Gras was one of my mom’s favorite holidays and she drug us to every parade she could. Rain or shine. No surprise that she was part of restarting the parade in 1995.”
When Petit’s mom passed away unexpectedly in 2018, Petit continued her involvement with the committee.
“Now that she has passed away it feels like I do it in her honor to help keep this tradition going,” Petit said.
The 2025 King and Queen of the Krewe of Des Allemands are Harry Aucoin and Fay Matherne Aucoin, Petit said.
“Harry is originally from Pierre Part and Fay is a native of Des Allemands,” Petit said. “They’ve raised their sons here and have always been very involved in the community. Fay comes from a line of royalty with her mother a past grand marshal, and two siblings as king and queen.”
The 2025 Grand Marshal is Willie Badeaux from Bayou Gauche.
“We noticed how much fun Mr. Willie had at our royalty dance and crowning last year and knew we had to put him in the parade,” Petit said. “Committee members choose our royalty from Des Allemands, Paradis and Bayou Gauche. We choose people who are a pilar of the community. People who support the parade and are honored to be a part of it.”
