Carnival in New Orleans doesn’t begin on Mardi Gras — it ends there. It begins on Twelfth Night, the twelfth night after Christmas, the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6. That is the night the first krewes roll, the first king cakes are cut, and the long march toward Fat Tuesday starts.

The Krewe de Jeanne d’Arc is one of the parades that opens it: a free, walking parade through the French Quarter, founded in 2009 to honor Joan of Arc on or near her January 6 birthday. No floats to speak of, no throws thrown from on high — a procession on foot, close enough to touch, lit by candles and torches.

January 6 is a fixed date, but the start time and exact route can shift year to year — confirm the current year’s details with the krewe before you go.

New Orleans is named for the Duke of Orléans — and behind that title is the French city of Orléans, whose siege Joan of Arc broke in 1429, the victory that made her the Maid of Orléans. To celebrate Joan in New Orleans is to close a loop five hundred years and an ocean wide.

You can see it made literal in the Quarter: a gold-leafed equestrian statue of Joan — the “Maid of Orleans” — stands near the French Market on Decatur Street, a gift from France, blazing gold in the sun. The parade often gathers in her shadow.

The krewe tells Joan’s whole story as it walks — from the farm girl of Domrémy to the coronation at Reims to the fire at Rouen. Expect knights in armor, a royal court, clergy and characters from her trial, hand-made costumes, brass and early-music, and Joan herself on horseback.

Come early, dress for a January night, and pick a spot with room to walk alongside — half the joy is following the candlelight through the old streets. From Mid-City, the Canal streetcar drops you a short walk from the Quarter. And if you’re building a whole Carnival, see how the season plays out in our own neighborhood in the Mardi Gras in Mid-City guide.

Witches Brew Coffee Co. is a witchy specialty coffee and tea house in Mid-City — the kind of place that keeps room for saints, mystics and visionaries the way New Orleans always has. We don’t march in the parade, but January 6 is a fine morning to start here: a warm cup, the covered patio, and the streetcar to carry you down to Joan.

We’re at 2940 Canal Street, open 8 AM – 6 PM daily, right on the Canal streetcar line, with a covered patio and parking in the rear. Wander deeper into the city’s hidden corners in Hidden History of Parades and The Unmarked City, or meet the season’s other strange processions — the Krewe of Boo Halloween parade and the Krampus night in December.