All Hail the Krewe of Barkus

“You can never go wrong adding a dog to the story,” the author Jim Butcher once wrote. And in the story of Mardi Gras, the annual dog parade is by far the finest paragraph, bringing thousands out to the streets of the French Quarter to celebrate the loyalty and love of the best among us. 

The Mystic Krewe of Barkus formed in 1992, when a group of buddies had gathered in the French Quarter at the popular Good Friends Bar, but they weren’t celebrating dogs that day. They were discussing Margaret Orr, the beloved New Orleans WDSU meteorologist. The Margaret Orr Fan Club (that was a real thing) was struggling to stay on topic, thanks to Jo Jo McWood, a neurotic dog owned (and carried everywhere) by member Thomas Wood. When the other members began to give him hell about it, Wood announced she was a queen and that he would start a Mardi Gras krewe in her honor.

The Mystic Krewe of Barkus rolled for the first time in 1993 with the theme “Welcome to the Flea Market.” Every year since, it’s grown. Jo Jo McWood (long since passed) remains an honorary queen for life, but each year, a new queen and king are elected: one of pure breeding and one decidedly worthy mutt. To say attention is paid to detail is an understatement—it’s not out of the question for owners to source skilled tailors to sew bespoke, Savile Row–worthy suits for Great Danes and Chihuahuas alike.

“Barkingham Palace” made for this year’s theme, an apt, triumphant motif following the hiatus of Mardi Gras in 2021. Velvet capes and rhinestone crowns, outlandish hats and fantastic thrones—the costumes of Barkingham Palace were trimmed to the tiniest button.

Margaret Orr, naturally, was long ago chosen as the official host of the parade, and locals felt emotional seeing her standing in her usual spot on Sunday, February 20, just below the balcony of Good Friends Bar, a microphone and funny quips at the ready.

“Hail Barkus!” she yelled to the overcast sky. A brass band struck up. Tails wagged and paws began their dance through the Vieux Carré once more.