I went to see Excalibur in Metairie on Friday night. I’ve only lived here in New Orleans for about 3 years now and I never saw a need to leave uptown during the Gras unless it was to see Krewe de Vieux or Barkus. So Excalibur was my first Metairie parade and a real treat, I tell you.
The parades in Metairie start later, which in my mind is a good thing because you can be a little bit lazier about the parade prep. We parked at the Lakeside Mall and watched from Severn. I noticed there were some elements of an uptown parade not seen in Metairie, such as flambeaus and brass bands. However, there are some things Metairie parades have that uptown is missing::

Copeland’s Monster trucks
Copeland’s speed boats
Copeland’s motorcycles
A daiquiri in every adult hand (no one seems to bother with a cooler)
Adult dance teams (?!)

Yes, that’s right. I said adult dance teams. They don’t need a school to show their spirit - they have the unabashed love of dancing to keep them going!
Mostly what I learned from my Excalibur experience is that Metairie rocks just as hard as uptown, just in a very different, much more Metairie kind of way.

Related posts:

1. First Time Rider
2. Calling All Krewes For Post-Mardi Gras Cleanup
3. Need Your Help: Mardi Gras Second Line Routes
4. It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon
5. Mardi Gras Around Me