Krewe of Olympia

On Mardi Gras Fat Tuesday in 1998 Marian George and Melanie Norman (then Stafford) were standing outside the Brew Pub watching the second line parade of the Demented Krewe of Dickson juking and processioning into the Pub. AJ and Penny Bellard looked over and said, “We ought to show Fayetteville what a real Mardi Gras Parade is like, one with floats and bands and all the whoopla!”

The next year Fayetteville’s 1st official Mardi Gras parade started, and the Krewe of Olympia was born! Based on the concept that we are all an inseparable part of God, and in that sense all human beings are Gods and Goddesses, we came up with the name: Krewe of Olympia, Gods and Goddesses.

Our first year float and theme put us “Above the Clouds”, as Gods and Goddesses in Olympia. We had big bellowing clouds (old sheets stuffed with recycled cloth), big silver lightning and rain drops in metallic silver below the clouds. We won the award for best float!

The second year we decided to celebrate “New Orleans Music”, so we made big plywood cut-outs of Marcia Ball playing piano (painted by Jane Garrison and Joanie Johnson). We had giant musical instruments and lots of glittered musical signs all over the float. We won a 2nd time, and were thrilled!

Since then we have had such themes as: “Goddesses Rock” with dancers in the street, “Under the Sea” with a Nebo–like décor; “Faces of the Goddess” with giant three-dimensional faces of the Goddess from all walks of life; “An Egyptian Theme” with Egyptian costumes and a giant Cobra on the front,  “Goddesses in Paradise” with a Polynesian theme, a Mayan theme called “Party til the End of Time”, and an environmentally-minded theme titled “Earthlings Unite: Get Your Ship Together!”.

This year the Krewe will entertain and amaze you as usual. Wear your dancing shoes and watch for the Krewe of Olympia, Gods and Goddesses extraordinaire!

For more information and pictures of the Krewe of Olympia, visit OUR WEBSITE!