2024 Honorary Muse Margaret Orr

Nationally recognized and locally adored WDSU Chief Meteorologist Margaret Orr will serve as the Honorary Muse for the 2024 Krewe of Muses parade, krewe captain Staci Rosenberg announced. Margaret Orr will be riding as Honorary Muse in the krewe’s iconic 17-foot tall fiber optic shoe float on “tHERsday” evening, February 8, 2024.

“When we want to know the upcoming parade weather, we call Margaret.” says Rosenberg. “She is more than a meteorologist – she’s a local icon. I can’t imagine what we will do when she retires. Margaret has been inspiring girls of this region for decades and that makes her a perfect Honorary Muse.”

Orr, a native New Orleanian, is an award-winning journalist and Meteorologist known for her expertise in reporting on hurricanes and tornados, and was recognized with a national Emmy award for her coverage of Hurricane Ida. 

Orr is also known for her long tenure on local television, having started her broadcast career at WDSU was she was 25 years old.   Orr was cohost of the Breakfast Edition with Bill Stanley and cohosted the WDSU World’s Fair show Monday through Friday with Alec Gifford.  Her forty-five years with WDSU have seen her cooking with Chef Paul Prudhomme (who taught her and viewers how to cook and made the Turducken famous), and other local chefs.  She has interviewed Allen Toussaint, Pete Fountain, Al Hirt, Jimmy Buffett and Ellis Marsalis.  

“I am humbled, happy and thankful the Muses are smiling on me. I have some big shoes to fill, following former Honorary Muses Soul Queen Irma Thomas, actress Jennifer Coolidge, actress Patricia Clarkson, journalist Tamron Hall and so many other trailblazing women.”  In 2020, Orr was the subject of the float “Margaret Orracle of Da Sky,” a tribute to her meteorological prognostication talents.

Off the air, one of Orr’s greatest joys was the creation of the Krewe of Barkus, formed as the Margaret Orr Fan Club. Now a thousand dogs wag their tails through the French Quarter every Carnival Season, and over a million dollars has been raised for dog charities. 

Krewe of Muses             

In Greek mythology, the nine Muses were the daughters of Zeus. First parading in 2001, the Muses organization now has over 1,500 members. The Krewe of Muses’ vision recognizes and incorporates the local artistic and cultural resources of the community, creating Muses Mardi Gras traditions for parade goers and carnival season enthusiasts to enjoy. The parade will roll on Thursday evening, February 8, 2024.