Rebecca Chandler and Ginger Lowrey, cofounders of the Krewe of St. Catherine, joined forces in 2022 to begin what is sure to be a tradition for years to come in the Hub City. After what has become forming one of Hattiesburg’s favorite parade performance groups, the Hub City HotSteppers, Chandler was asked by Hattiesburg’s Mayor Toby Barker if she had considered doing a walking parade. Though Chandler admits it wasn’t something she’d considered, she started brainstorming ideas.
“I brought him my ideas, and he said, ‘let’s roll with it,’” said Chandler. “So, I reached out to Ginger. I knew she loved Mardi Gras, and from there it snowballed.”
Lowrey, who lived in New Orleans for a time, said she fell in love with the parades.
“My favorite parades were the ones that had a lot of walkers and custom, handmade throws,” said Lowrey. “It made it such a special interaction between the parade and the crowd.”
With those aspects in mind, Chandler and Lowrey set out to do more than just throw a parade. They wanted to curate a unique, interactive experience with a huge emphasis on creative costuming and hand-made throws. Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of railway workers, philosophers, students and the wheel, seemed to be the perfect fit given all of her parallels with Hattiesburg, and the Krewe of St. Catherine was born.
The theme for the parade set to roll on February 6 at 6:30 p.m. is, “Off the Rails: Trains! Trains! Trains!” Parade-goers can expect exciting performances by a number of dance krewes from around the region, the Hattiesburg High School Marching Band and the Hub City HotSteppers as well as interactive experiences with local krewes with handmade throws. To finish off the evening, DJ Kujho will keep the good times going at a block party at the Ruins on Mobile Street at the end of the parade route.
When it comes to the Krewe of St. Catherine, the more creative and unique, the better. Returning krewes include the Hub City Crafters as the Krewe du Minerva, Studio 522 as the Lunatic Viking Krewe and librarians join forces to present the Krewe of Shh. These krewes delight in making and distributing their creations such as crocheted items, handmade necklaces, bracelets and crafted trinkets as well as providing plenty of traditional beads and candy.
The Krewe of St. Catherine is still accepting krewes as well as sponsors and will continue to do so until the week of the parade. Any groups of five or more people can register as a krewe, and any individuals who want to participate but do not have a krewe can be paired with an existing krewe.
“There are many organizations across the region that are membership-based, so they’re only open to their members,” said Chandler. “This is open to everybody, so yes, we will take anybody that wants to come be a part of it.”
For krewe registration and general or sponsorship information, visit their website at kreweofstcatherine.com or visit their Facebook page.
