NEW ORLEANS (WGNO)-The KREWE OF BOO! announced today that Sidney Torres IV is being honored as the king of the 2015 parade, which rolls through the French Quarter starting at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 24.
“I’ve been asked to ride in a number of parades, but when I was invited to be king of the KREWE OF BOO! I jumped at the opportunity because it rolls through our beloved French Quarter,” said Torres.
Torres is a well-known New Orleans entrepreneur and the founder of the venture capital firm IV Capital. Though he’s been perfecting the art of the deal for more than 20 years, Hurricane Katrina a decade ago put Torres’ problem-solving skills to the biggest test of his career. As a result of the storm, New Orleans was strewn with debris and garbage, and the waste removal contractor left the city stranded. Torres bought new equipment, secured the contract, and SDT Waste and Debris Services was born. He was hands on, even with the trash business, and could be seen behind the wheel of a huge garbage truck or walking the streets with his team in the early hours of the morning during Mardi Gras, cleaning up after parades.
A decade later in early 2015, as a fresh wave of crime was striking the heart of the state’s tourism industry, the French Quarter, Torres created an app and an accountability process that are revolutionizing policing and, most importantly, reducing crime. The approach has generated greater safety and confidence for tourists and residents, and reduced crime. The French Quarter Task Force has been so successful that expansion plans are underway.
“Sidney has been cleaning up the streets of the French Quarter for a long time. First it was trash, and now it’s crime,” said Krewe Captain Brian Kern. “We are proud to honor Sidney for all he’s done for the French Quarter and the city by naming him King of the KREWE OF BOO!”
To celebrate Torres’ reign, the KREWE OF BOO! will host the first ever King’s Party on Fulton Street from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on October 24. The event is free and open to the public and will feature performances by Rockin’ Dopsie Jr. and the Zydeco Twisters and Amanda Shaw.
At 6:30 p.m., the parade will begin at Elysian Fields Ave. and Decatur St. and roll through the French Quarter ending at Mardi Gras World for the Monster Mash. The Monster Mash is a ticketed costume party that features food, drink, and entertainment from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.
The KREWE OF BOO! will again seek to reduce parade waste that ends up in landfills by exclusively throwing New Orleans-made food items and local collectible objects that parade goers will want to consume or keep as mementos.
A map of the complete parade route and information on purchasing tickets for the Monster Mash are available at kreweofboo.com.