Mardi Gras 2026 parade route announced!

The Cryptique Council is pleased to announce our parade route for Mardi Gras day, February 17th, 2026. Here it is!

A map of our route for Mardi Gras day, February 17, 2026. Here's a text version of the route: We'll meet up at 9am on Esplanade on the neutral ground near Buffa's, but not directly in front of Buffa's; more like diagonal across, in front of 936 Esplanade. We'll start marching at 9:30am. We'll enter the French Quarter on Burgundy, walking two blocks on Burgundy and then turning left onto Governor Nicholls. Then we'll walk two blocks down Governor Nicholls and turn right onto Bourbon. Here we take a 15-minute break at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop. Then we'll walk three blocks down Saint Philip, and then we'll take a 15-minute break at MRB Bar. Then we'll go back up Saint Philip and turn left onto Chartres. We'll walk two blocks on Chartres, and then we'll turn right onto Saint Ann. We'll walk one block up Saint Ann and then we'll turn left onto Royal. We'll walk one block on Royal and then we'll turn left down Pirate's Alley. We'll walk half a block on Pirate's Alley to Cabildo Alley, where we'll take a 15-minute break at Pirate's Alley Cafe. Then we'll backtrack up Pirate's Alley, cross over Royal, and do a slight right-then-left turn to take us up Orleans. We'll walk one block on Orleans and then turn left onto Bourbon. We'll walk on Bourbon for three blocks and then turn left onto Saint Louis. We'll walk one block down Saint Louis and then turn right onto Royal. We'll walk two blocks on Royal and then turn left onto Bienville. We'll walk three blocks down Bienville and take our last 15-minute break at Ryan's Irish Pub. Then we'll backtrack one block up Bienville and turn right onto Chartres. We'll walk four blocks on Chartres and then turn right down Wilkinson. We'll walk one block on Wilkinson and then turn left into the south-west corner of Jackson Square. We'll walk up the Square and turn right, crossing in front of the Cathedral, and then we'll turn right onto the Saint Ann side of the Square. Our final destination is halfway down the Square on the Saint Ann side. We'll stop at the stairs in front of the park entrance on that side.

More info about this year's shamble on our parade info page.

It's Carnival time with Cryptique!

It's Carnival time, and Cryptique is making plans for our fifth annual Mardi Gras march! All monsters and other assorted spooky people/creatures are welcome to join us! Sign up to receive our newsletter; we'll be sending out this year's parade route soon!

Mask-making workshops in January!

Links to register are below!

A flyer style graphic with the text,
Mask-maing workshops! Co-hosted by Cryptique.
Tuesday, Jan. 13th, 5:00-6:30pm, East New Orleans Regional Library, Large Meeting Room.
Thursday, Jan. 8th, 5:00-6:30pm, Algiers Regional Library, Large Meeting Room.
Learn how to make a basic Mardi Gras mask using cardboard, wire, & paper clay.
It's free! Registration required.
In partnership with our friend Josh at New Orleans Public Library!

Registration for the January 8th workshop opens on 12/25.
Register for January 8th here.

Registration for the January 13th workshop opens on 12/30.
Register for January 13th here.

We'll have just 15 spots available for each session, so register as soon as you can!

Krewe of Krampus meet-up!

Some of us misfit toys are gonna meet up to watch the Krampus parade on Saturday December 6th in the Bywater; come out and join us! Note: If you have been naughty we cannot guarantee your safety.

Thank you for a spooktacular Mardi Gras 2025!

We've just posted pics from Cryptique's 2025 Mardi Gras shamble in our gallery! This year was our biggest yet and with some of the most spectacular costumes we've ever seen! Truly breathtaking work.

Interested in marching with us next year? We'd love to have you! All you gotta do is sign up on our mailing list and you'll receive news about krewe activities and events throughout the year; not just Mardi Gras, but meetups, movie nights, paper mache workshops, etc. All are welcome!

Remember, you don't gotta be an artist to join Cryptique, and you don't gotta make a paper mache mask; a lot of us just like doing so. Check out our krewe bylaws to see our costume guidelines; they are very laid-back.

Cryptique t-shirts and other junk

We've got some new designs on Threadless! Available on t-shirts, stickers, buttons, mugs, and lots more stuff! (They've got... skateboards??)

Flyer for Monster Mash & Mingle 2; details below

Socials

These days you can find Cryptique on Instagram and Bluesky. Connect with us!

Get in touch

For general inquiries: info@cryptiquekrewe.com