Mardi Gras is a billion dollar annual operation for New Orleans. Mardi Gras is a season which begins January 6 and culminates on Fat Tuesday. There are dozens of parades. Clubs called crewes sponsor floats and have their own parades. Large clubs have multiple parades--and as many as 26 floats! Six to ten of these floats are theme floats for the club and do not change. Up to 20 others are decorated annually to fit the Mardi Gras theme for that year. A float can cost the crewe anywhere from $50,000 to as much as $800,000!
Floats are
built on a basic float frame, which is mounted on a heavy-duty four-wheel trailer. All floats are pulled by tractors in the parades. One firm specializing in building the massive floats has 17 ware- houses around the city for refitting and storing the floats. You get an idea of the size of floats from the picture of the two of us standing beside the Trojan Horse.
Most of the characters like the large head in the first picture are created from styrofoam. Many of these characters are used over and over again. They are simply modified by float-building craftsmen to fit the current plan. The day after Mardi Gras work begins on next year's floats. King Kong (see picture) was built for a float but was too tall so is now his own float.
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