Editor’s Note: The following series “Get to know Mardi Gras!” is a week-long series curated by Gabriela Taras as a part of the Digital Research Internship Program in partnership with ViaNolaVie. The DRI Program is a Newcomb Insitute technology initiative for undergraduate students combining technology skillsets, feminist leadership, and the digital humanities. This year Mardi Gras lands on February the 25th. So, this curation is dedicated to Mardi Gras shenanigans in New Orleans. This curation will help you become familiar with the traditions, culture, and history that have made Mardi Gras what it is today & how it shaped our city!
This article touches on parades that kick off Mardi Gras including Krewe of Cork, Krewe of Chewbaccus (a star wars themed parade), and Krewe of Barkus (a parade of puppies in tiaras and costumes!). Be on the look out for them next go round! This article was originally published on Jan. 25, 2013.
FRIDAY / Pop bottles: Wine preference is a strangely decisive thing. You’re red or you’re white, sparkling or still, boxes or bottles, and even those categories are limiting. This Friday, it simply doesn’t matter– Krewe of Cork celebrates all wine in their Mardi Gras kick off. Whether you only order a merlot when you’re at a fancy restaurant or chardonnay is your nightly go-to, Krewe of Cork welcomes you to their 13th Annual Parade Friday afternoon in the French Quarter. There’s no better excuse to start your weekend early.
The Sacred Drunken Wookie
SATURDAY / Laugh it up, fuzz ball: The government might not be building a Death Star as petitioned but that doesn’t mean your life has to be entirely lacking in Star Wars. The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbaccus rolls this Saturday, not in a galaxy far, far away but in the Marigny. Peter Mayhew who played Chewbacca in four of the movies (including the originals, so try not to hold Episode 3 against him) is this year’s king. The theme is “Return of the Wookie,” so your time spent practicing your wookie calls will go to good use.
SUNDAY / Dress me up: Between the Super Bowl and general chaos that is the holidays, it seems like Mardi Gras just snuck up on us this year. For snacks and booze, just dip into your hurricane kit—you’ll have months to replace it—but costumes are a little trickier. This Sunday, the NOLA Costume Bazaar at the Healing Center will have you sparkling through the city. Local designers will ensure that you leave decked out in your feathered and sequined finest.
SUNDAY / Dog’s life: Give up and go home. Krewe of Barkus has the best parade theme this year. It’s “Tails and Tiaras: Here Comes Honey Bow Wow” and I for one could not be more excited for it. This TLC-inspired parade will roll through the French Quarter with canines and their counterparts on Sunday, with proceeds going towards local animal welfare groups. Don’t let your pup miss out on Mardi Gras fun. Coordinate costumes and upgrade your Sunday afternoon walk to a parade.
NOLAbeings Multimedia artist Claire Bangser created NOLAbeings as a portrait-based story project that marries... 
Voodoo in New Orleans: Reviving history: New Orleans fortune telling This article takes a deep dive into the history of Voodoo in New Orleans, its hybridization with Catholicism, and its present-day place in the city's culture. The author visits fortune-tellers in the French Quarter, using their guidance as a tool for introspection rather than a deterministic predictor of the future. Through her experiences in New Orleans, the author feels a mystical connection to both the past and the future. 