The amazing Krewe of Red Beans put on a show again this year with their bean-laden outfits and costumes. The Krewe strolled through various neighborhoods around New Orleans, showing their pride for the culinary tradition they hold dear.
Added this year to the group of beans was the Queer Beans, a sector of Red Beans dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community and their pride of showing their true colors. This krewe even has their own Queen, Jimmy Gale, who paraded around covered in glitter and the classic Mardi Gras colors.
We got a glimpse of the legendary “Beanmobile,” a vintage Volkswagen that’s covered from head to toe with bean designs that famously feature a bean image of New Orleans’ most celebrated red beans and rice lover, jazz legend Louis Armstrong. It’s a mobile piece of art, a labor of love, and a tribute to a city that celebrates its culture through cuisine. The Beanmobile has been an icon for the krewe since 2008.
The Krewe of Red Beans was founded in 2009, inspired by a mixture of New Orleans traditional cultural practices like the annual suit-making of Black Masking Indians and the parade style of second lines. Many members make their own red bean mosaic costumes as a tribute to New Orleans’ beloved culinary tradition of red beans and rice, typically enjoyed on Mondays.
Over the years, the parade grew in popularity and size. Today, there are four different bean-parades and about 450 krewe members. They also pride themselves as being the only Krewe where parents can parade with their children at their side. Their guiding values are accountability, diversity, community, creativity, love, and respect.
One of the amazing qualities about this Krewe is their dedication to helping and serving their community. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Krewe of Red Beans raised over $3MM and created over $1MM in employment opportunities for 252 creators in New Orleans. Overall, they helped 104 musicians, 33 Mardi Gras Indians, 67 Second Line & Baby Doll members, 23 artists, and many more.
Continuing their community work, the Krewe of Red Beans has created other charity groups like Hire a Mardi Gras Artist, Bean Coin, Fest Fest, and Feed the Second Line. The Krewes’ new endeavor began in November of 2023, when they sought out an old furniture factory to become their very own clubhouse, community space, and non-profit headquarters. The space is called Beanlandia and is accessible to not only Krewe members, but the entire community.
We are so excited to learn the theme and see the amazing bean costumes of next year’s Mardi Gras season! Until then, cook up a meal of red beans and rice, and start working on that costume… it might take awhile!
Words by Emily Cigan @emily.cigan and Amy Harris @thetraveladdictig