Parade info

For spectators:

Cryptique shambles through the French Quarter on Mardi Gras morning. Scroll down a bit on this page to see our route for 2026! We'd love to see you! Yell for us! Stop us for photos! Please post pics, and tag @cryptiquekrewe, #cryptique, and/or #cryptiquekrewe.

For new members:

All are welcome! Sign up on our mailing list to receive info about our march, krewe events and activities, and more. Please read our krewe bylaws for costume guidelines and general rules. If you plan on marching with Cryptique on Mardi Gras day, that pretty much makes you a member! All you gotta do is show up and bring the good vibes. Please read the below.

For current (and new!) members:

People who march with Cryptique are responsible for their own safety. By walking with us, you acknowledge that you are doing so at your own risk. We have some parade safety guidelines below!

Here's some info about our Mardi Gras 2026 parade!

A map of our route for Mardi Gras day, February 17, 2026. Here's a text version of the route: We'll meet up at 9am on Esplanade on the neutral ground near Buffa's, but not directly in front of Buffa's; more like diagonal across, in front of 936 Esplanade. We'll start marching at 9:30am. We'll enter the French Quarter on Burgundy, walking two blocks on Burgundy and then turning left onto Governor Nicholls. Then we'll walk two blocks down Governor Nicholls and turn right onto Bourbon. Here we take a 15-minute break at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop. Then we'll walk three blocks down Saint Philip, and then we'll take a 15-minute break at MRB Bar. Then we'll go back up Saint Philip and turn left onto Chartres. We'll walk two blocks on Chartres, and then we'll turn right onto Saint Ann. We'll walk one block up Saint Ann and then we'll turn left onto Royal. We'll walk one block on Royal and then we'll turn left down Pirate's Alley. We'll walk half a block on Pirate's Alley to Cabildo Alley, where we'll take a 15-minute break at Pirate's Alley Cafe. Then we'll backtrack up Pirate's Alley, cross over Royal, and do a slight right-then-left turn to take us up Orleans. We'll walk one block on Orleans and then turn left onto Bourbon. We'll walk on Bourbon for three blocks and then turn left onto Saint Louis. We'll walk one block down Saint Louis and then turn right onto Royal. We'll walk two blocks on Royal and then turn left onto Bienville. We'll walk three blocks down Bienville and take our last 15-minute break at Ryan's Irish Pub. Then we'll backtrack one block up Bienville and turn right onto Chartres. We'll walk four blocks on Chartres and then turn right down Wilkinson. We'll walk one block on Wilkinson and then turn left into the south-west corner of Jackson Square. We'll walk up the Square and turn right, crossing in front of the Cathedral, and then we'll turn right onto the Saint Ann side of the Square. Our final destination is halfway down the Square on the Saint Ann side. We'll stop at the stairs in front of the park entrance on that side.

As in previous years, we'll meet at 9am on the neutral ground in front of Buffa's, at Esplanade and Burgundy. Opening remarks are at 9:15am, and then we march into the Quarter at 9:30am. We'll finish at Jackson Square probably between 11:30am and noon. At that point, we'll take a couple group photos, and then we're done! Members are free to hang around or go off and do their own thing.

Make sure you're signed up on our mailing list to receive any updates! We also send out periodic emails about krewe meetups and other events and activities throughout the year.

Please read our krewe bylaws for costume guidelines and general rules — when in doubt, see Rule #1!

Parade safety

For those of you who will be shambling with us, the Cryptique Council wanted to share some tips to keep your Mardi Gras day comfortable and safe — most of these are lessons we've learned the hard way! Many of these apply to marching while wearing a big mask; masks are not required, of course!

Visibility. If you're wearing a mask, make sure it has eye holes that are large enough (duh). Being able to see downward is just as important as be being able to see forward! You need to be able to see the ground when you're stepping onto a curb, or over a pothole, for example. Practice walking around the house in your mask, or down the street! Go scare somebody!
Hearing/air circulation. It's a good idea to have ear holes so you don't have a crazy echo in your mask, and so you can hear the world around you. These don't need to be right where your ears are; behind/above/below are fine. The more holes, the better you'll be able to hear — even adding some all the way in the back helps. Another great way to reduce echo in a large mask is to glue a bunch of foam in there wherever you can fit it.
Always face forward while you're walking. We've seen so many masked marchers crash into each other when they're walking and looking to the side, usually waving at friends or whatever. Another krewe member may stop in front of you, and boom! If you need to stop, please pull over, and glance behind you to make sure no one's rolling up on ya.
Pot holes, broken streets, and curbs. This is New Orleans, baby! Don't act like you don't know. Also watch out for drunk people who are not paying attention (they may even be your fellow krewe members!). Just try to remain alert and be aware of your surroundings at all times.
Comfortable shoes. Our most recent parade route was two miles, and you'll probably end up doing a lot more walking than that over the course of the day. Comfy shoes are a must. New shoes? Break them bad boys in NOW.

Maybe do some stretching too! We ain't gettin' any younger.

Stay hydrated. Plan ahead and drink plenty of fluids the day before Mardi Gras. (No, not those fluids — well, okay, those fluids but also tons of water.) If Mardi Gras day is warm you might be surprised at how hot our costumes/masks can get.

You're allowed to take your mask off any time, by the way! Don't worry about that.

Buddy system! From Council member Jawbone: "Pick a Krewe Buddy when we meet up on Mardi Gras morning. Look out for each other. Keep your head on a swivel. Watch what goes on around us. Be nice and have fun."

General parade reminders

We'll reiterate these things on Mardi Gras morning when we're all together, during our opening remarks just before we start marching.

Cross, regroup, and go: When we start our march at the neutral ground in front of Buffa's, the first thing we will do is cross Esplanade, and then STOP AND WAIT on Burgundy, just inside the Quarter, until everyone is together. Then we'll start walking again. That way if we get separated while some folks are waiting to cross as cars pass, we won't lose anybody. So take your time crossing Esplanade; no need to hurry! We'll wait for you if you get stuck.

So: we cross, then regroup, and then go!
SLOW DOWN. Let's make it a very leisurely shamble, people. Try to be mindful of walking slowly, so all of our (dis-)members can easily keep up, and so we can all be careful watching out for potholes and stuff. The slower we go, the more people in the Quarter can enjoy watching us go by!
Photoshoot at Jackson Square: When we finish our march on the St Ann side of Jackson Square, please stay put for about 15 minutes while we take some group photos. Please don't run off to pee or grab a drink right away; we want you all in the pics! Within 15 minutes of our arrival at Jackson Square, we'll finish with photos and officially dismiss all a' y'all 'til next year.

Again, we'll mention all of the above things on Mardi Gras morning just before we start walking — no need to write this shit on your hand.

Questions?

Lay it on us, daddy-o: info@cryptiquekrewe.com