Don’t be surprised to catch some familiar faces with those beads – some Loyola faculty and staff members, as well as some students, will be riding in this year’s festivities. So be on your best behavior.

KNIGHTS OF BABYLON

Patrick Lynch, associate accounting professor, rides as a horseman in the Knights of Babylon, a krewe Lynch has ridden with since 1974.

Lynch describes the Knights of Babylon as a more “traditional organization,” replacing the black-tie rowdiness of Endymion and Bacchus with “white-tie, sit-down dinners.” Babylon is also one of the last krewes to host a masquerade ball, according to Lynch.

The 69-year-old krewe owns 20 floats, still designed as they were 60 years ago.

“It’s just a nice group of people to be associated with,” Lynch said of the 200- to 250-member krewe.

Though he has ridden in the krewes of Endymion and Mid-city in previous years, Lynch enjoys the classic New Orleans gentility of Babylon – not to mention the party, something Lynch looks forward to the most this season.

“I enjoy dressing to the nines,” he said. “It’s a great two-week time to party and see people.”

Though Hurricane Katrina displaced 20 of its members and damaged the den that houses the floats, the krewe still pulled together for last year’s parade season.

This year, Knights of Babylon rolls on Jan. 31, following the traditional St. Charles Avenue route.

KREWE OF MUSES

Famous for throwing their signature shoes, the Muses feature a fresh face this year. Caitlin Craig, marketing and customer service manager for Dining Services, joins the krewe to fill in for her mother’s friends who had to sit out for this year’s parade.

“It was a perfect way to decide if this was a commitment I wanted to make,” Craig said. “It was always something I wanted to do.”

First parading in 2000, the 1,100-member, all-female krewe rides in an attempt to tap into the artistic aspect of the city with the Greek muses’ idea of a wild ride.

But Craig is no stranger to the male-dominated Mardi Gras – her step-father was a captain in Hermes, and her fiance’s father is captain of Proteus. After years of attending the balls and luncheons, Craig is excited to be part of the all-female krewe.

“I am thrilled to ride on a float,” she said. “I am really looking forward to throwing beads and watching all of the people. I have been told that you feel like a celebrity and that has to be fun for a couple of hours.”

This year, Muses hits the streets on Jan. 31, starting at Napoleon Avenue and Magazine Street and rolling through St. Charles Avenue.

“The krewe is always a blast,” Craig said. “We have light -up beads and tons of really fun throws. My float is titled ‘It’s Raining Men,’ so I’m sure it will receive some attention.”

EXCALIBUR,

PONTCHARTRAIN,

CENTURIONS,

TUCKS, THOTH

If you haven’t caught a Loyola dance team’s performance yet, now is your chance to see them. They’ll be performing in not one, but five parades this year.

Michelle Fazende, a freshman on the dance team, is excited to be a part of Mardi Gras.

“I love marching in parades. They are extremely fun. It’s just an entire different view of Mardi Gras.

“You don’t only experience the parade as a bystander, you actually get to see all of the sights. I’m looking forward to my first year marching with the Loyola dance team,” Fazende said.

You can see the dance team march in Excalibur, Jan. 25 in Metairie at 7 p.m.; Pontchartrain, Jan. 26 in Uptown at 1 p.m.; Centurions, Jan. 27 in Metairie at 5:30 p.m.; Tucks, Feb. 2 in Uptown at noon, and Thoth, Feb. 3 in Uptown at 11:30 a.m.

Alex Woodward can be reached at [email protected].