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The Krewe of Armeinius is a satirical and lavish gay carnival ball held in New Orleans each year. The Armeinius first began in 1969 and for the past 49 years it has presented a fabulous gay ball on the evening before Mardi Gras. This is a very formal and personal celebration. The members of the Armeinius Krewe present this ball for the guests’ pleasure where they serve ample food and refreshments while the members of the Armeinius themselves display a range of costumes in a variety of tableau presentations. To receive an Armeinius invitation to the ball fulfills the purpose that you are an accepted member of the gay society in New Orleans. However, due to increasing cost in recent years, the Armeinius members have opened the Krewe ball to the general public by offering seats in the balcony at a moderate cost.
How did the Armeinius Krewe first begun? It began as a spoof against carnival balls for straight people. They soon began to evolve into a more serious ball, but with much perseverance made by the predecessors of the ball. The Armeinius ball demonstrates a particular theme each year as chosen by the captain of the Krewe. The carnival was run by the Krewe captain thereafter. Four friends met in 1968 with the intention of putting on a gay carnival ball. They decided on the name Armeinius. You may wonder why they chose this name. In many mythological books Armeinius was mentioned to be the lover of Narcissus. Having decided on the name in the fall of October 1968, these four founding members put on the first gay carnival ball in February 1969. They brought their friends together, raised money and built and designed costumes in a little over four months.
As indicated by the Krewe laws, the Armeinius ball is held on the eve of the Saturday just before Mardi Gras. For over twenty years the ball has been held at St. Bernard Civic Auditorium, close to the site of the Battle of New Orleans. The first few balls were held at Labors Union Hall in New Orleans, Uptown Street. This hall is still used by Krewe members for their annual Miss Gay Pageant Louisiana Pride. The first theme of the gay carnival ball was ‘Year of the Queen’. The costumes worn are considered to be the highlight of the ball. The Krewe members have by tradition entered their costumes at the Mardi Gras’ Bourbon Street Awards which has won them many awards each year.
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