Jefferson City Buzzards


The Jefferson City Buzzards group is the oldest marching club in New Orleans Mardi Gras, United States. It was started in 1890. The Buzzards have an all-male membership.
The Jefferson City Buzzards have five parades each spring. Two weeks prior to Mardi Gras, they have a "practice parade" in uptown New Orleans dressed in drag. Two Saturdays before Mardi Gras since 2016 they march before the Krewe of Caesar in Metairie. On Mardi Gras morning around 6:45am, wearing traditional Mardi Gras costumes, they begin marching at Exposition Blvd. and Laurel St. Uptown, at the edge of Audubon Park. The club walks down Laurel to Webster, turning right to Tchoupitoulas, down Tchoupitoulas to Arabella, then to Magazine, to St. Charles Avenue down to Canal St., preceding Rex. The route proceeds to Rampart St. then takes a U-turn to end at Magazine and Poydras streets. The Buzzards hand out emblem doubloons. The Buzzards also parade on Metairie Road as part of Metairie's St. Patrick's Day parade, and on Veterans' Memorial Highway in Metairie the following Sunday as part of the annual Irish-Italian parade.
The Jefferson City Buzzards are briefly featured in the 1978 documentary 'Always For Pleasure' by Les Blank.