Carnival krewes are the private clubs that stage the elaborate parades and Carnival balls. The most famous of the 55 or so parading is Rex, the King of Carnival. The krewe members, garbed in eye-popping costumes, cruise through the streets on fantastic floats. The souvenirs, which are called throws, include cups, miniature footballs, bikinis, tiny stuffed animals, and all sorts of things. The Zulu parade, which precedes Rex on Mardi Gras morning, is famous for throwing coconuts.
New throws crop up each year.
Far and away the most ubiquitous of the throws are beads and doubloons. The beads are of colored plastic, and the doubloons are aluminum coins that bear a krewe's emblem and motto. Judging by the enthusiasm of the crowd, you'd think the throws were akin to the treasures of King Tut. But a wild scramble to catch a cheap trinket is just part of the madness called Mardi Gras . FAT CITY - A region of Metairie that is a popular place to party during Mardi Gras, originating from the term Fat Tuesday, the literal translation of Mardi Gras.