FUNDRAISING — Keep participation FREE by donating just $10
Sounds like an oxymoron, right? The fact is, we don't need a lot of $$$, but we do need some. Expenses include LIVE MUSIC** banners, favors, glasses, posters, flyers, prizes,etc.
Think of it as really cheap, voluntary Krewe dues!
HATS, HATS, HATS! — Create your own hat, or just add decoration to an existing hat. Click on any of the links at the bottom of the page to see examples of last year's creations. DON'T BE INTIMIDATED — There will be a wide variety of hats in our New Orleans version of the Catherinettes parade. If you have the time to make something special, that's great, but if not, just grab a pretty hat from your own closet — or a silly hat from your Halloween stash — and join us!
P.S.: There's a prize for the Best Hat, and this year's winner will be next year's Parade Queen.
HONOREES — The parade honors an unmarried woman named Catherine (we're flexible on the spelling). This year, Katherine Hart will lead the parade, along with last year's Best Hat winner, Betsy Stout (above).
We will also raise a glass to our good friend Olwyn Riddell (above), who loved hats and passed away just one week after last year's parade.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 10:30 AM
There is NO Saints game that day!
The NOLA St. Catherine's Day Hat Parade, inspired by the annual event of the same name in Paris, is held the weekend before Thanksgiving. It's open to women and girls of all ages (men and boys are welcome to tag along).
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
PARADE ROUTE — Meet at 10 AM on the neutral ground at St. Charles Ave. and Pleasant St. The parade begins at 10:30 AM, walking down St. Charles, and making a series of right turns onto Washington, Prytania, Louisiana, and back onto onto St. Charles to the starting place. No streets will be blocked off; the event will take place on public sidewalks. The route is less than 1 mile.
B.Y.O.B. — Bring Your Own Bubbly!
Our "Chevaliers du Champagne" will tend coolers with ice to hold champagne (or anything else you bring) so we can celebrate at the end of the parade.
LIVE MUSIC —The live music for the 2011 St. Catherine's Day Hat Parade is really something special. We are so lucky to have REAL French music! NORBERT SLAMA, Parisian accordionist extraordinaire, who played for stars Josephene Baker and Edith Piaf, will be joined by Jack Fine on trumpet and Robert Celerier on sax.
HISTORY — St. Catherine of Alexandria was an early Christian martyr. She is the patron saint of milliners, seamstresses and unmarried women. On the feast of St. Catherine (November 25th), French seamstresses, milliners and unmarried women (called Catherinettes, pronounced the French way: kat-reen-ette) parade the streets of Paris showing off unusual handmade chapeaux using the traditional colors yellow (faith) and green (wisdom). The hats range from pretty ... to silly ... to elegant ... to bizarre. We are recreating that event here in New Orleans.
For more information, contact Claudia Lynch at info@HatNola.com.
Photos courtesy of George Long Photography
All photos ©2011 George Long Photography
Logo + Graphics by Claudia Lynch
Logo + Graphics ©2011 HatNola