Just behind the Krewe of Lul’s king and queen is the Hahnville High School band along with many of its longtime riders, including Hahnville Carnival Club, Krewe of Blue & Boo and Derby Club. They are among the longtime units that have helped keep the parade rolling from its very beginning.
“It’s local,” said David Rosenthal, former HHS director. “You know the folks here have supported the band program and it’s a real good and easy way to give back to them.”
In his second year as band director in the spring of 1980, the band started marching in the parade and it’s remained a feature since that time.
“I remember one year, it was raining so hard that we might have outnumbered the people on the side of the road,” Rosenthal said.
But the band marched on.
“We always led out the parade pretty much,” he said. “The king and queen were ahead of us, but other than that we were generally the first unit in the parade. It told me the folks were proud of us and proud to call us their own.”
Rosenthal said, while it may not have been true for the students, the parade seemed like a homecoming to him.
“It’s a family atmosphere, as well as for the band, which I found appealing,” he added.
Eric Gueniot, the current HHS band director, also considered marching in the Krewe of Lul parade their chance to give back to the community.
“The people support the school and the school system throughout the year and this is an opportunity for us to provide some community service,” Gueniot said. “The students need to understand the value of giving of their time. We do both local parades, Luling and Des Allemands, for no fee. In both places the streets are lined with alumni of Hahnville and former members of the band. We always receive a warm reception and enjoy playing for them all as we go by.”
In Boutte, the Derby Gang is already planning its next float for the parade, one they’ve rode in about 23 years.
“We just love it,” said club member Kim Butler. “Love Mardi Gras. Love the parade.”
They know the people because they’re from Luling. Their aunt, Wilhelmina Simmons, named the club.
“We didn’t know the name would stick with us,” Butler said. “Now, it’s in memory of her, who was our club leader.”
They tried riding in the New Orleans parades, but it wasn’t the same, Butler said.
“You don’t know anybody so it wasn’t fun,” she said. “I don’t know … there’s just something about the Luling parade.”
At the Hahnville Carnival Cllub, Gena Schmill said they started riding in the parade in 1989. It’s been a family affair with friends who started with building a float on an old mobile home frame that remains one of the parade’s largest floats. She is the last of the club’s original members, but it’s still rolling.
“It’s fun. We just enjoy it,” Schmill said. “We’re all family that ride in it, and we just do it to have fun. We have a blast.”
Next year’s theme for the float will be emojis.
Also in Boutte, Russell Diggs rides with the Krewe of Rhapsody, which he says was named by the many teenagers who ride with him.
“I’ve been there a long time,” Diggs said. “It’s a family carnival. I like Mardi Gras, and I don’t like the New Orleans parades because you have more violence, killing ad robbing.”
Diggs said he’s got a lot of friends in the Krewe of Lul and is glad a ball is being held in February.
His wife, Angelle, agreed, calling it a family celebration.
“It’s what we do for the family,” she said. “We’re just keeping up the tradition. We just do it every year now.”
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