Muses, Chaos and Babylon parade under clear skies Feb. 8
 

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Babylon looked to the gods, Chaos the headlines and Muses the arts for Thursday night?s parades, soaking up a rare night of clear skies and brisk air.

Babylon?s pantheon-inspired themes and floats always brighten the parade route, and this year was no exception.Its ?Gifts of the Gods to New Orleans? starred some lovely traditional and vibrant designs, each honoring ancient deities for their stamps on New Orleans iconography and qualities, including a massive golden sun (?Phoebus Gives Sunshine?) and a giant bouquet of stringed instruments and horns (??Apollo Gives Music?).

The theme stretched a bit thin towards the end ? a flaccid sculpture of a dancing couple thanking Terpsichore for dance was a rare display of humanoid figures, and a dull wall of a brick Tulane Stadium was mounted in the front of ?Minerva Gives Higher Learning ?(though an owl-decorated float and riders in academic gaps and gowns dressed it up).
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