REPORTER: IT WAS 50 YEARS AGO, 1970. JACKIE GONDRELLA RODE IN HER VERY FIRST PARADE WITH THE KREWE OF IRIS. >> SOMETHING I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO ALL MY LIFE. WE WERE SO EXCITED, WE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH OURSELVES. REPORTER: BUT THAT FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE REVELERS ON SAINT CHARLES AVENUE WOULD CHANGE HER LIFE FOREVER. >> IT WAS JUST STUNNED AND AWED INTO TOTAL SILENCE. THEN WHEN YOU GO INTO THE FRENCH QUARTER WHICH WE DID, PEOPLE ARE ON THE GROUND, I LEVEL, AND BACK DOWN ALL OF THE SIDE STREETS. HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE. REPORTER: IT WAS IN THAT MOMENT JACKIE REALIZED SHE WAS HOOKED. JOINING THE GROUP. EVEN SERVING AS QUEEN IN 2010. >> I’VE SEEN SO MANY DIFFERENT CHANGES AND THINGS, IT IS CRAZY. REPORTER: AND NEW ORLEANS’ OLDEST ALL-FEMALE CARNIVAL KREWE HAS CERTAINLY EMBRACED THOSE TRANSITIONS IN ITS 103 YEARS. GOING FROM JUST A BALL ORGANIZATION TO CHANGING THE MARDI GRAS GAME FOR WOMEN, DESPITE INITIAL OPPOSITION THE LADIES WERE AWARDED A SPOT O THE UPTOWN PARADE ROUTE. TAKING TO THE STREET FOR THE FIRST TIME ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY SEVENTH, 1959, USHERING THE START OF WHAT WOULD BECOME MARDI GRAS WEEKEND. >> NOBODY WILLIE WANTED TO RIDE ON A SATURDAY. THEY GAVE US SATURDAY. ALL OF A SETTING, IT BECAME SATURDAY. REPORTER: IT ALSO BECOME A PREMIER ATTRACTION KNOWN FOR ITS REUSABLE UNIQUE THROWS AND ITS SIGNATURE SUNGLASSES. >> WHEN WE DECIDE TO PLAN OUT OUR THROWS, I OPEN UP MY PURSE AND FIGURE WHAT I USE THE MOST. THAT’S WHAT WE WILL MAKE INTO A THROW. IT WORKS. I LIKE WALKING AROUND SEEING PEOPLE WEARING OUR STUFF. REPORTER: THIS YEAR YOU’LL SEE JACKIE ON THE ANNIVERSARY FLOAT. CELEBRATING 5 DECADES WITH THIS NEARLY 3500 MEMBER STRONG GROUP. LOOKING FORWARD TO MANY MORE YEARS TO C