Originally produced for www.blackatlas.com. View the original piece here.

I have a lot of fond memories of Mardi Gras. As a little girl, growing up in New Orleans, I would spend the Sunday before Fat Tuesday ‘chasing Indians’ – that is, I’d try my best to find the Mardi Gras Indians as they masked through the neighborhoods. And I would stand along Jackson, begging for the Zulu’s to throw me something, praying it would be coconut.

My most recent Mardi Gras memories are of getting ready for the balls and parades, of rushing around at the last minute to buy throws and of getting very little sleep the night before Fat Tuesday.

You see, for five years, I rode with the Zulu Krewe as a parade duchess. I can’t begin to describe the stress that comes with trying to get a costume fitted, sewn and decorated from over 900 miles away (I live in Chicago now). Nor can I describe the feeling of excitement I would get, every year, when the floats hit Jackson. Zulu is the only krewe to roll through a black neighborhood on Mardi Gras Day. It is on Jackson that, as a Zulu rider, you are bound to hear someone – family, friend – call your name. Even if your family lives nowhere near this strip, they make the trip to watch Zulu roll by. The crowds on Jackson aren’t barricaded the way they are on the the rest of the parade route so you are able to really interact – and have a lot of fun with – the folks who came out to watch the parade.

I didn’t ride this year and, to be honest, I miss it. But I did head down to New Orleans to talk to a few of my friends as they got ready for Mardi Gras. Believe it or not, planning starts early in the summer; by January, folks have their costumes ready. You’ll get to see all of this and learn a bit about the history behind two of Mardi Gras’ most popular parades: Zulu and the Mardi Gras Indians.

I also took a moment to sit down with Mrs. Leah Chase of the legendary Dooky Chase restaurant. Her gumbo was, of course, delicious – and her insight into New Orleans history was enlightening. She definitely fed me in more ways than one during our visit.

Thanks to my YouTube pal, ACityOfFriends, for letting me use the live action video from Mardi Gras 2009 (you’ll see me on the float with Parade Duke #5; we’re in the red and purple).