The Krewe of Roux at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette will spice up the Mardi Gras season with several activities this week.
It will host the Krewe of Roux Parade and a king cake giveaway on Thursday, Feb. 4. The parade starts at 4 p.m. The celebration continues that day with the second annual Mardi Gras Ball at 8 p.m. in the Cajundome Convention Center, where a student king and queen will be crowned.
“These events give students an opportunity to experience the Louisiana culture by exposing them to the Mardi Gras tradition while actively engaging them in on-campus activities,” said Assistant Director of Student Activities Ruben Henderson.
The parade route starts on Rex Street, turns right onto St. Mary Boulevard, turns left onto Hebrard Boulevard, and ends on Boucher Drive.
UL Lafayette students, organizations, departments, and faculty and staff members can register to participate in the parade. The deadline to register is Tuesday, Feb. 2. Cars and trucks are allowed, but floats are prohibited.
Participants will toss “throws” such as Mardi Gras beads, plastic cups, and candy. They will line up on Rex Street in front of Griffin Hall at 3:30 p.m.
University students, staff, and the public are invited to watch the parade. Glass containers and alcohol are prohibited.
Immediately after the parade, a short ceremony will take place on the plaza between the Student Union and Cypress Lake, where maids and dukes who have been nominated by student organizations will share king cakes. The maid and duke whose cake slices contain traditional small, plastic babies will be crowned king and queen of the Krewe of Roux at the Mardi Gras Ball. Additional king cake slices will be given to all attendees.
The University’s roughly180 student organizations can each nominate one candidate for duke and one candidate for maid. By Friday afternoon, about 35 student organizations had made nominations, according to Henderson. The deadline to submit nominations is 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2.
“We’re trying something new this year. Our goal is to keep who gets the baby in their cake a secret until we announce the king and queen at the Mardi Gras Ball, where they will be crowned,” said Thomas Shuff, co-chair of the Traditions Committee.
Sponsored by the University Program Council, the Mardi Gras Ball is an event for UL Lafayette students only. About 400 students donned semi-formal attire and danced the night away at last year’s ball.
“There was a lot of energy in the room. Attendance exceeded our expectations. I was pretty impressed,” said Shuff, a senior business management major.
Henderson said he expects this year’s ball to attract about 800-1,000 students. They learn about the event mainly through social media, group presentations, and word of mouth.
No registration is required to attend the free event. Students must have their student IDs scanned to enter the Cajundome Convention Center.
A disc jockey will provide music, and food and refreshments will be served at the student-organized ball.
To learn more about Krewe of Roux Mardi Gras celebrations, visit the University Program Council at upc.louisiana.edu or call (337) 482-6945.
Photo info: The 2016 king and queen of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Krewe of Roux will be chosen Tuesday, Feb. 2. In 2015, John Clostio, left, and Jordan Daigle were named king and queen.