We always thought of Mardi Gras and the Carnival season leading up to it as simple debauchery, an excuse to let it all hang out and catch up on our bad behavior. But behind the drinking and the partying, something good lies hidden — like a face behind a feathered mask.
The basis of Carnival is the Krewe. A Krewe is a group of people organized for the purpose of putting on a parade. The people we see on the floats, throwing out beads and trinkets, are all members of the Krewe in whose parade the floats appear. (Marching bands and other groups are invited to join the parade but are not necessarily part of the Krewe.) For a Krewe, the parade is the high point of the year, but the parade, as they say, is only the tip of the iceberg. There are balls and other numerous social functions, along with volunteer events, throughout the year. It can cost quite a bit of money to belong to a Krewe, and much, if not all, of that money is donated to or spent on behalf of charities. Therein lie the good deeds behind the party masks.
Because there is so much more to a Krewe than the parade, Krewes are generally just for locals — out-of-towners may find it difficult to participate. However, some Krewes have events in which everyone is welcome during the weeks before Mardi Gras day. Many of the balls are open to the public — Krewes will often host parties to celebrate the completion of their floats, and some Krewes throw parties well in advance of Mardi Gras just to get everyone excited about the Carnival season.
In the case of the Mystic Krewe of Barkus, any dog is welcome to join the Krewe and participate in the parade for a fee of about $30. All of the members are dogs (and occasionally other domesticated animals) whose humans are considered "escorts." All proceeds from the parade, ball and other Barkus events go to help animal rescue and adoption organizations like the Humane Society and American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
So even though Dudley spent the Barkus Parade nibbling treats and wearing a very silly outfit and his "escorts" spent the day telling people to "Bark for Beads," what we were actually doing was having a good time for a very good cause.
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