Krewe of Rex

The Rex parade is an annual attraction of traditional New Orleans Mardi Gras and considered a centerpiece of the festival because of the Krewe’s rich and colorful themes, maskers in original costumes and elaborately decorated and hand-painted floats.

 The Krewe Of Rex has held more parades than any other organization. They are the origin of many Mardi Gras traditions, including the official Carnival colors of purple, green and gold, as well as the collectible doubloon coins (introduced by Rex in 1960). The Krewe consists of 600 male riders and parades on the New Orleans uptown route on Mardi Gras day.

Founded in 1872, The Krewe Of Rex is one of the oldest participating groups in Mardi Gras. They formed in a New Orleans still recovering from the civil war as a way to entice tourists to visit the city and businesses to put down roots in the community. The city’s businessman originally organized Rex to put on a spectacle for the visiting of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia (remembered now as "Grand Duke Alexis").