25-02-2025
Shaq, Rutina Wesley, other celebs to reign in Mardi Gras parades
Be on the lookout this Mardi Gras for a little extra star power in New Orleans as Shaquille O'Neal, "True Blood" star Rutina Wesley and others reign as celebrity monarchs in parades.
Why it matters: Some will throw custom doubloons and swag.
Keep an eye out for ...
🎬 Rutina Wesley
The actress will ride in Muses' giant high-heel float as the krewe's honorary muse.
She's best known for her roles in "The Last of Us," "Queen Sugar" and "True Blood."
"My time in New Orleans meant so much to me, and I have fallen in love with the city in so many ways," Wesley said in a statement. "To say it is my favorite city in America is an understatement."
The all-female krewe rolls on the Uptown route at 6:30pm Thursday.
🤸♂️ Livvy Dunne
LSU's gymnastics star will be the grand marshal of Endymion.
Dunne also stars in " The Money Game," an Axios-produced docuseries on Prime Video.
The parade rolls at 4pm Saturday from Mid-City to the French Quarter.
Katy Perry and Train will perform at the ticketed Endymion Extravaganza after the parade.
🏀 Shaquille O'Neal
The basketball phenom and LSU graduate is the celebrity monarch in Bacchus.
The krewe tells us they retrofitted the throne to fit Shaq's famously large frame.
He'll throw Shaq-branded mini basketballs and doubloons with his face on them.
The parade rolls Uptown at 5:15pm Sunday.
🇺🇸 Victory Belles
The retro musical performers at the WWII Museum will reign as grand marshals for Thoth on Sunday.
The parade winds its way through Uptown starting at noon. (Route.)
🤩 Bianca Del Rio and Brothers Osborne
They will reign as the celebrity monarchs of Orpheus.
Del Rio is a larger-than-life drag queen with a comedic flair who won season six of RuPaul's Drag Race.
TJ Osborne and John Osborne make up the country music duo known for tunes such as "Stay a Little Longer," "It Ain't My Fault" and "I'm Not For Everyone."
The parade rolls Uptown at 6pm Monday. (Route)
🐾 Scrim
The city's infamous runaway dog will be the grand marshal in absentia of Barkus.
An art bike will stand in for the scruffy pup.
The rescheduled dog parade rolls March 9 in the French Quarter.
Go deeper: Full parade schedule
