Episode 127 Krewe of Gemini - "Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home"

Shreveport-Bossier: My City, My Community, My Home

This week our focus is Mardi Gras! You can find my full discussion with Tony Richardson and Karen Baker, Krewe of Gemini, here. Here are the questions I asked:

0:28 1. Both of you are part of The Krewe of Gemini, the oldest parading Mardi Gras Krewe in Shreveport-Bossier.

We recently kicked off Mardi Gras season 2025 with Twelfth Night.

Tell me when it was and some of what happened that night.

5:10 2. Tony, you are originally from Michigan but are now Captain for this year’s 36th year of Gemini. Tell me how you first got involved in Gemini.

8:00 3. Karen, you first joined the Krewe of Gemini in 2007, were Queen for the 30th year of Gemini, and are a current board member. What is Gemini for you and what are some of the reasons you continue to give so much of your time to it?

12:16 4. What many people don’t realize is how much of an economic impact Mardi Gras delivers to our local economy. According to numbers released by the Caddo Parish Commission in early 2024, the direct economic impact of Mardi Gras parades in Shreveport was estimated to be more than $9 million. Adding indirect spending, the total economic impact was estimated to be more than $16 million.

Do people travel into the area for our Mardi Gras? Or can you talk about some of the different ways that local Mardi Gras delivers an economic impact?

15:34 5. The Krewe of Gemini parade draws hundreds of thousands of spectators each year along the 5½ mile parade route.

When will it roll this year and talk to me some about its parade route?

17:05 6. For people listening who are interested in becoming a part of a Krewe, what’s the best way for them to get involved?

24:08 7. What distinguishes Mardi Gras in North Louisiana from Mardi Gras in South Louisiana?