Knights of Ecor Rouge Mardi Gras Parade

As Mardi Gras historian Emily Hearin recounted the tale, the Knights of Ecor Rouge began as the brainstorm of several Eastern Shore friends while they were on "a spirited sailing vacation in the Grenadine Islands in December 1983."

"Ecor Rouge" is French for "Red Cliff" and is a specific reference to a triangular-shaped bluff between Daphne and Fly Creek in Montrose.

Incorporated in April 1984, the organization numbered 150 by the time of its first parade in February 1985, according to Hearin.

KOER's motto is "Chevaliers a se Rappeler," which means, "Knights to Remember" in French. That was the theme of the organization's first parade and ball.