Organizing a Mardi Gras krewe is no small feat. And, when Krewe Mystique de la Capitale decided to form one from scratch almost 50 years ago, it was navigating relatively uncharted territory. While the Capital Region had krewes and parades by that point, this ambitious new group wanted to introduce a slice of the Crescent City’s parade traditions.
In 1976, a few locals filed papers for Krewe Mystique de la Capitale with the Louisiana Secretary of State. The inaugural parade rolled during Carnival season the following year, and the rest is history.
This makes Krewe Mystique de la Capitale likely the longest running Mardi Gras parade in Baton Rouge, according to records on file at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library. (The all-male Krewe of Tucumcari, which was established in 1947 and hosts an annual tableau ball, is the city’s oldest still-operating Carnival krewe.)
In just short of five decades, this vintage krewe has upheld some of its oldest traditions, like presenting royal court debutantes at its tableau and maintaining mystery around the theme of the ball and certain members’ identities.
“Some of the ball captains still haven’t been revealed. From ’77 to ’79, we don’t even know who they were,” says Stacey Pereira, Krewe Mystique de la Capitale’s current president. “Our ball captains keep the mystique (today). Up until the actual day of the ball, nobody knows who they are.”
File photo by Catrice Coleman
But, as the times progressed, a few tweaks were made here and there to ensure the parade stayed exciting for krewe members and relevant to paradegoers. Notable switchups included commissioning local manufacturer Comogo Floats LLC to build its floats, adding new board members who have worked to introduce more social events, upgrading the king’s and queen’s costume trains and revealing the theme to krewe members before the ball takes place. Another addition was a float to honor veterans, where the community can sponsor up to 13 veterans to ride in the parade free of charge.
“There’s been a lot of changes over the last few years that we’ve made to the krewe just to invite more people in to see it,” Pereira says. “We’re trying to make sure that we have the history behind it, but also adding some new things to kind of pique people’s interest.”
While a lot of planning goes into parade day with larger-than-life floats and throws, this krewe celebrates year-round through traditional events and other community happenings.
“It has always been a very family-friendly type of krewe,” Pereira says. “It’s not an all-male or an all-female krewe. It’s one that’s open to everybody. And, we have people that are still in this krewe today that have probably been in the krewe since the ’80s.”
For members, being a part of the krewe is less about the party on parade day and more about the relationships formed.
File photo by Catrice Coleman
“These people have become very close friends, and we do a lot with this krewe,” Pereira says. “To be a part of a krewe that thinks outside the box and looks to do things for the community and involves everyone, it’s been a lot of fun.”
After the last of the crowd leaves the route on Saturday, Feb. 22, the members of Krewe Mystique de la Capitale will already have their sights set on the next Carnival season, with events starting as early as this spring.
And Pereira says things will continue to evolve as the krewe gets older to ensure new members gain interest to join—and keep the traditions rolling for years to come.
Courtesy Krewe Mystique de la Capitale
Catch the parade
Saturday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m. | Downtown Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge’s oldest still-running parade will return to its downtown route next month after last year’s event was canceled due to inclement weather. Expect to see new floats, marching groups, and royalty and regal members from the 2024 season. Don’t miss the krewe’s signature throws: decorative fleur de lis that have been hand-embellished with Mardi Gras beads.
This article was originally published in the January 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.
