Krewe of Roux is now known as simply a Mardi Gras themed ball that the University of Louisiana at Lafayette hosts. In the past, however, it was also a tradition to produce a Krewe of Roux Mardi Gras parade.
The parade was a tradition for more than 30 years and was hosted by the University Program Center, along with multiple student organizations.
Each organization was tasked with choosing a duke and a maid as representatives.
The maidens and dukes each got one cake and whoever got the baby from each cake was named the king and queen.
Other king cakes and drinks were also provided for guests who came out to watch the festivities take place.
A few days later, the actual Krewe of Roux parade would take place.
Student organizations could choose to ride in floats and throw goodies while the parade traveled from the Blackham Coliseum to Johnston Street, onto St. Mary Street and ended at the alumni center on campus.
Over time, the parade changed from advisor to advisor.
Michelle Bernard, the director in the Office of University Camps and former Krewe of Roux advisor said, “The event evolved during the years I advised the student committee, and they adjusted the parade from a full, big float parade to a campus parade that was only a walking parade with wagons decorated as floats.”
She continued, “It remained this way until the next advisor took over, which is when the ball was added, and the parade was dropped.”
Many students claim that if UL Lafayette still had a Mardi Gras parade like the Krewe of Roux parade, they would be there every year.
When asked if he would attend the parade if the University Program Council still hosted it, Gaines Ledet, a freshman electrical engineering major said, “I’m not too big on those kinds of events, but I mean, if I was that kind of person, maybe, considering it’s kind of like the thing in this state. To be honest, why wouldn’t you go?”
The old tradition of a Krewe of Roux parade was a sure-fire way to show the Louisiana Mardi Gras celebration.
Though the parade came to an end around 2015, the Krewe of Roux Ball was created in its place. The 2025 ball took place this year on Thursday, Feb. 20 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. and it was an open event for all students with their student ID.
Mardi Gras is a celebration of life that Louisianians have taken part in for decades, whether it’s by catching beads thrown from festive floats, finding the baby in a king cake or dancing at the Krewe of Roux ball.
Even though the Krewe of Roux parade is no longer a tradition for the students at UL Lafayette, there are loads of other parades and festivities to partake in all around the Lafayette area throughout the whole Mardi Gras season.