Rex, King of Carnival – Episode #84Rex, King of Carnival
Today’s episode is all about Mardi Gras and the Rex parade. I am joined by a former King of Carnival, Dr. Stephen Hales.
In addition to reigning as Rex in 2017, Dr. Hales is the archivist and historian for the School of Design, the organization that puts on the Rex parade. In this discussion we talk about Rex and its impact on Mardi Gras, and more broadly, on the city of New Orleans as a whole.
Join me for a fun glimpse behind the scenes of the oldest parading organization in New Orleans.
Resources
Visit the Rex website to learn more about the history of the organization, and to find the educational resources Dr. Hales discussed in today’s episode.
We’ve done several episodes about some aspect of Carnival or Mardi Gras. Here’s a complete listing (as of Feb 2019) with links:
Mardi Gras Episodes
- 84 – Rex, King of Carnival (Apple | Spotify | Website)
- 56 – Who Invented Mardi Gras? (Apple | Spotify | Website)
- 28 – An Interview with Mr. Mardi Gras, Arthur Hardy (Apple | Spotify | Website)
- 13 – Mardi Gras Indians (Apple | Spotify | Website)
- 04 – Mardi Gras Survival Guide (Apple | Spotify | Website)
- 03 – It’s Carnival Time in New Orleans (Apple | Spotify)
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Thank You
Thanks to Dr. Hales for taking the time to talk about the Rex organization, and for hosting me at the Rex den. A special thanks to Dr. Hales for taking great care of our daughters (and thousands of other New Orleans children) as their pediatrician.
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Thanks for listening!
Mark