Mardi Gras debut with Krewe du Vieux 'Stimulus package'

For a stock-market crash course in freakonomics, head downtown Saturday when Krewe du Vieux presents its Stimulus Package. The raunchy and satirical parade hits the streets with mule-drawn floats, brass bands and cruise director Frankie Ford. Eric Lindell and the Zydepunks headline the post-parade ball at the Colton School. Visit the Web site for parade map and ball information.

The Krewe will be marching through the Faubourg Marigny and the French Quarter encouraging onlookers to “Shave the Wetlands” and get ready for some “New Voodoo Economics.” Always “Dedicated to Perpetual Naughtiness” this year’s parade promises plenty of “Good Vibrations” on its way to it’s “Inaugural Balls” at the Colton School.

The 2009 Parade this year is on Saturday, February 7, 2009 and the Krewe will be rolling and stumbling through the Marigny Triangle and the Lower French Quarter. This year’s theme is the Krewe du Vieux Stimulus Package. The King is Frankie Ford with Barbara Bennett as his Queen.

6:30 PM

Our Sub-Krewe Sites: Krewe of Comatose: kreweofcomatose.com • Krewe of Mama Roux: www.kreweofmamaroux.com • Krewe of Underwear: kreweofunderwear.com • Krewe of LEWD: KreweofLEWD.com • Krewe of Drips and Discharges: dripsanddischarges.org • Krewe de CRAPS: krewedecraps.net • Krewe of CRUDE: krewe-of-crude.org • Krewe du Mishigas: krewe.us • Seeds of Decline: Seeds Site

The legendary but oft-bungling covert Carnival double secret agent -- dormant since Carnival past -- handed me a stack of papers indicating that these always ribald, risque and roguish revelers had conjured up their own version of what's in the news: "Krewe du Vieux Releases Its 'Stimulus Package,'" based on sex-based initiatives.

That provocative package will be released Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in a 12,000-step recovery program and parade through the French Quarter and Faubourg Marigny, as the krewe declares moral bankruptcy. Parental discretion is not only advised, it is mandatory -- a kiddie parade this ain't.

"Parade-goers are advised to watch their assets -- it says so right here on this page," Float said. "You can look for them to show their Bare Stearns."