The most popular time to visit New Orleans is the extended weekend before Mardi Gras (February 13- 17). Come then and you'll be sure to catch the most popular parades, like Endymion, Bacchus, Zulu, Rex and all of the festive celebrations throughout the whole city.
Mardi Gras, or "Fat Tuesday," is the last day of the Carnival season as it always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Most visitors will plan to arrive no later than Saturday, February 14, 2015 in order to enjoy an extended weekend of festivities.
With Mardi Gras 2015 in full force, Rex and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu highlighted the krewe's charitable giving in their official toast Tuesday (Feb. 17.)
As Rex reached the mayor's viewing stand in front of Gallier Hall, both men touted the organization's $3.5 million in contributions to education in recent years.
"We are having our education system improve, our streets and infrastructure improving, there is a sense of returned entrepreneurship with young people moving back to New Orleans and new people moving in," said Rex, Christian Brown.
Read Landrieu's official greeting below, followed by the King of Carnival's toast.
Landrieu's toast:
"Rex, you look spectacular. I trust you're having a wonderful day. The Witch Doctor from Zulu promised it would not rain, and he turned out to be right.
"Your Majesty, on behalf of the first lady and myself, the people of the City of New Orleans and our Council Member Susan Guidry, and other Member James Gray, and Kenneth Polite, our U.S. Attorney, (we) come and greet you today. We wanted to welcome you, and we wanted as always to tell you we bequeath the streets of the city onto you and to your Krewe on this beautiful day.
"We wanted your krewe. Rex has done unbelievable things for the city of New Orleans for so many years. I know that you personally have been a part of a great effort in the last couple of years to make sure that major investments have been made in education and other things that you guys have thought were important.
"So, on behalf of the people of the city we want to raise a toast to you, and everybody raise them and say, Hail Rex! Hail Rex! Hail Rex! And of course you can have the key to the city!"
The toast from Rex:
"Mr. Mayor, last night you offered me the key to the city if I promised to fill the potholes of the streets. And right now we are trying to do our best with beads, doubloons, cups and everything.
"I've arrived with about 500 of my loyal subjects, and they all shared a common bond with you: That they want to make this city even a better place; a place our children, and our grandchildren, want to call home. Rex, as you know, is not merely a parade and a ball, or a social organization. We are much more than that. We have many dedicated civic leaders who come together under our motto, 'Pro Bono Publico.' And as you know we have invested well in the future with our children, having given this year $860,000 to the education of the most at risk children, making it a total of $3.5 million.
"Mr. Mayor, that is what New Orleanians are all about. We give to our community, and it makes me optimistic looking forward as to what lies in store for our children and grandchildren. You have done amazing things in this city. We are having our education system improve, our streets and infrastructure improving, there is a sense of returned entrepreneurship with young people moving back to New Orleans and new people moving in. And all I can say is New Orleans one day will be undoubtedly the greatest city in the world!
Mardi Gras, or "Fat Tuesday," is the last day of the Carnival season as it always falls the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Most visitors will plan to arrive no later than Saturday, February 14, 2015 in order to enjoy an extended weekend of festivities.
With Mardi Gras 2015 in full force, Rex and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu highlighted the krewe's charitable giving in their official toast Tuesday (Feb. 17.)
As Rex reached the mayor's viewing stand in front of Gallier Hall, both men touted the organization's $3.5 million in contributions to education in recent years.
"We are having our education system improve, our streets and infrastructure improving, there is a sense of returned entrepreneurship with young people moving back to New Orleans and new people moving in," said Rex, Christian Brown.
Read Landrieu's official greeting below, followed by the King of Carnival's toast.
Landrieu's toast:
"Rex, you look spectacular. I trust you're having a wonderful day. The Witch Doctor from Zulu promised it would not rain, and he turned out to be right.
"Your Majesty, on behalf of the first lady and myself, the people of the City of New Orleans and our Council Member Susan Guidry, and other Member James Gray, and Kenneth Polite, our U.S. Attorney, (we) come and greet you today. We wanted to welcome you, and we wanted as always to tell you we bequeath the streets of the city onto you and to your Krewe on this beautiful day.
"We wanted your krewe. Rex has done unbelievable things for the city of New Orleans for so many years. I know that you personally have been a part of a great effort in the last couple of years to make sure that major investments have been made in education and other things that you guys have thought were important.
"So, on behalf of the people of the city we want to raise a toast to you, and everybody raise them and say, Hail Rex! Hail Rex! Hail Rex! And of course you can have the key to the city!"
The toast from Rex:
"Mr. Mayor, last night you offered me the key to the city if I promised to fill the potholes of the streets. And right now we are trying to do our best with beads, doubloons, cups and everything.
"I've arrived with about 500 of my loyal subjects, and they all shared a common bond with you: That they want to make this city even a better place; a place our children, and our grandchildren, want to call home. Rex, as you know, is not merely a parade and a ball, or a social organization. We are much more than that. We have many dedicated civic leaders who come together under our motto, 'Pro Bono Publico.' And as you know we have invested well in the future with our children, having given this year $860,000 to the education of the most at risk children, making it a total of $3.5 million.
"Mr. Mayor, that is what New Orleanians are all about. We give to our community, and it makes me optimistic looking forward as to what lies in store for our children and grandchildren. You have done amazing things in this city. We are having our education system improve, our streets and infrastructure improving, there is a sense of returned entrepreneurship with young people moving back to New Orleans and new people moving in. And all I can say is New Orleans one day will be undoubtedly the greatest city in the world!
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