The 2020 Lockport Parade

After missing the 2018 and 2019 parades, we were ready for Mardi Gras 2020. The weather was perfect. The people were as friendly as ever. The 2020 Lockport Parade (aka Krewe of Apollo 2020) featured beautiful floats and great throws. Family from out of town thoroughly enjoyed themselves at the parade. 

And it was a special little girl’s second birthday.

In other words, the Krewe of Apollo 2020 will long be remembered by our family.

The Food!

First of all, the food was terrific. Because we were focusing on the birthday party, most of the food came from Rouses. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that. I mean it’s a bayou parade, and Rouses started up the bayou from Lockport.

So what did we have? Jambalaya, meat pies, sandwiches, mini-muffulettas, chicken tenders, and boudin egg rolls. We had a king cake from the Bayou Quick Stop and one from the Cake Shop both from Lockport. We also brought a brioche king cake from La Petite Sophie Patisserie from River Ridge. 

Of course driving in for the 2020 Lockport Parade, you could smell crawfish boils, pigs roasting, and enough gumbos cooking to make Coach O happy.

The 2020 Krewe of Apollo

Lockport is not a very large town. There are no red lights. In most cities, the entire town would be a small neighborhood. Yet, the Krewe of Apollo doesn’t just go down the main street. It weaves throughout the city.

Where my parents live allows us to catch the parade at the beginning of the route and toward the end of it. What’s great about this is that we know people on both the driver and passenger sides of some floats so we can make sure we see everyone.

Another fact that makes the Lockport Parade so special is that riders are also the decorators. They put in the work to make the parade unique and not just on parade day. The love that went into the LSU, the Scooby-Doo Gang, and all the other floats is so apparent. It’s hard work, but it is a labor of love.

Looking at the Facebook/Instagram posts that my friends took from around the route, it sure does seem that it was a perfect day for everyone. In every picture, everyone is having a great time being with family and friends and enjoying the Krewe of Apollo 2020.

The parade allows us to have reunions. Reunions with friends and family. Classmates meetup to remember things they don’t want their children to know that they did.

And a Birthday Party!

The Lockport Parade 2020 also served as our little one’s birthday. When mommy was in the hospital waiting to deliver our precious girl, daddy had plenty of time to figure out when our baby’s birthday would coincide with Mardi Gras.

Her 21st birthday will actually be Mardi Gras day. I don’t want to think that far ahead.

So her second one fell on the day that the Krewe of Apollo 2020 rolled. Nana, PopPop and Aunt Didi (geekella on twitch…if you are on twitch, check her out!) came from Florida to celebrate.

We went all extra an had a sign made so that the riders knew it was her birthday. We didn’t need it. I’m convinced that she would have caught as much without it. She is such a natural parader.

We sang Happy Birthday and cut the cake between the two times we caught the parade. Our little one was in dire need of a nap at this time, but she persevered. 

After the parade, we relaxed and opened presents. We are not exactly sure where we are going to put most of her loot, but we will find a place.

Even though we had all that food, we decided to end the day at El Paso in Raceland. We all shared stories of how much fun we had. We again celebrated our little girl.

After we ate, we asked for them to put on the birthday sombero on her and we sang her happy birthday.  She made us do it four times and giggled at the end of each one. 

 

It didn’t take her long to fall asleep in the car. 

Such a Perfect Day

After missing the last two years, we were ready for the 2020 Lockport Parade
 

While we were full from all the food,  our hearts were also full. My hometown helped make for a perfect day for our little one. And so did our friends and family.

But that’s what the Lockport Parade is all about – friends and family.

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