In 1949, nine creative ladies formed the Krewe of Romany for the purpose of presenting an annual Mardi Gras ball with the court being the debutante daughters of its members. It is the oldest all-female krewe in the city. Rich in tradition, many families stay in this krewe for decades—with multiple family members serving as kings, queens, pages and ball captains. This year, one family has four generations of members attending. Romany boasts ornate costumes with dramatic back pieces and the queen is always the daughter of a krewe member. The annual theme is determined by the ball captain and is not revealed to the public until the beginning of the ball each year—this year held on February 4. “Our most time-honored tradition is the handing down of the captain’s whistle,” says Tara Schwartz, a former Romany queen who is slated for ball captain in 2022. “Each year, the ball captain hands on the whistle to the next ball captain, signaling the official start of the new ball captain’s year.”