Krewe of BOO! Parade 2026
It's that spooky time of year again! Get ready to experience New Orleans' official Halloween parade, the Krewe of BOO!, on Saturday, October 24 at 6:30 p.m.
History of Krewe of BOO!
Founded in 2007, the first Krewe of BOO! parade rolled the following year as a fundraiser for Hurricane Katrina relief. It was a success, and after several years passed without a Halloween parade, New Orleanians felt the absence of this event. Therefore, it was revived from the dead in 2013.
The Kern family comes from a long line of artists and innovators beginning with Roy Kern, who was a local New Orleans painter. During the Great Depression, he created signs for barges and freighters in the Port of New Orleans. Following in his father's footsteps, Blaine Kern began painting and built the first mule-drawn float on the back of a garbage wagon for the Mardi Gras Krewe of Alla parade in 1932. From there, Kern Studios was founded in 1947 and Blaine traveled through Europe to perfect his craft to build floats with monumental scale and lavish decorations.
From there, Blaine's success led him to be dubbed "Mr. Mardi Gras" as the mastermind behind the larger-than-life papier-maché floats that have become the face of Mardi Gras since the 1950s. The Kern family has a Mardi Gras dynasty from Blaine's Mardi Gras World to Barry Kern's Krewe of Orpheus.
When Krewe of BOO! was resurrected in 2013 when Blaine's son, Brian Kern, took the reigns.
What to Expect at This Year's Parade & Other Events
The Krewe of BOO! parade is a free family-friendly event featuring a 3-D fiberglass and papier-maché extravaganza of werewolves, ghosts, vampires, and other Halloween-themed monsters. Paradegoers are encouraged to wear costumes and bring plenty of bags to catch throws. The parade rolls at 6:30 p.m. on October 24 through the French Quarter, ending at the Warehouse District.
Along with the parade is a weekend-long lineup of events, beginning Friday, October 23 with the royal luncheon at Galatoire's Restaurant to a jazz second line through the French Quarter. Following will be an afternoon happy hour at Pat O'Brien's, and the night will end with the captain's party at the Toulouse Theatre.
Saturday, October 24 will begin with an early morning zombie run through the Warehouse District and ending at Frenchmen Street. At sundown, Krewe of BOO! rolls, with V.I.P. viewing parties along the parade route. The spooktacular weekend will end with a blowout costume bash at the Monster Mash, the post-parade afterparty at Generations Hall.
On Sunday night, October 25, a special screening of Interview with the Vampire will take place at the Prytania Theatre Uptown. The screening will include an intro and Q&A session with Krewe of BOO! grand marshals Christopher Rice and Eric Shaw Quinn.
There's more to look forward too after spooky season! In the spring, Krewe of BOO! hosts a "Halfway to Halloween Dance-Off" and "The Axeman's Ball," a Roaring '20s Halloween tribute. Most of the events are subject to fees and specific age requirements.
For more information on Krewe of BOO! and its festivities, visit kreweofboo.com.
