NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - As New Orleans prepares for its first major parade weekend of the 2023 Carnival season, an New Orleans Police sergeant said she is ready to lead the krewe on its route through New Orleans East when it rolls on Sunday.
Summer Turner, a 22-year NOPD veteran, said serving as queen of a parade krewe was never something she expected.
“Being a police officer is something that I’ve always wanted to do,” Turner said. “To be able to kind of incorporate the two has been really fun because now I can show you can still have a great, fun profession, and have fun at the same time.”
Krewe of Nefertiti’s motto is “We Serve before We Roll,” a nod to the krewe’s mission of community service.
Turner said service to the New Orleans East community is a theme she can get behind.
“I work in New Orleans East, I’m a New Orleans East resident, and now I’m queen of a parade krewe in New Orleans East,” she said. “It’s for those families who don’t like to go downtown, with the bigger parades. It’s a safe environment for the kids to be able to see a parade in New Orleans East.”
And for Turner, having a positive influence on the children who come out with their parents on Nefertiti Sunday is the highlight of this role.
“The ultimate goal is for them to see, one, someone who serves their community in a police role, as well as being a person who they can say, ‘She comes from where I came from, and look at where she is,’” Turner said.
Meanwhile, the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus will roll on Saturday night, with the parade anticipating a return to its original route starting at St. Claude and Franklin.
Last year, the parade was shortened due to limited NOPD resources.
“I’m going to wait until the parade’s actually running in front of us before I get really excited,” said Mowgli Pierlas, the owner of Arabella Casa di Pasta and Kajun’s Pub. “This is the busiest time of the year for us.”
Pierlas said he is thankful to have the parade return to St. Claude Avenue this year, and that other nearby business owners share his sentiment. But, he’s fed up with constant petty crime in the area.
“We want the parade to be here,” he said. “But then there’s also that side of it where it’s just, like, when people ask me questions like, ‘Is it safe to park my car in this place?’ No, you’re in New Orleans still, it’s not safe.”
Chewbacchus will roll at 7 p.m. on Saturday, while Nefertiti is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Click here for the 2023 Mardi Gras Parade Schedule
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