The parade

Currently in: Beaumont, TX
Next up: Corpus Christi and Harlingen, TX'
We will be spending most of February in South Texas - trying to stay warm til Spring!

This post is a bit late, but on our last day in NOLA we went to World of Mardi Gras for a tour.  We learned a lot about this celebration that takes place in cities all over the country.

Of course most of us know that Mardi Gras means Fat Tuesday.  It takes place before the 40 days of Lent on the Church calendar.  What we didn't know was that in New Orleans there is not just one parade, but over 50 parades that take place up to 2 weeks before actual Mardi Gras.  The parades do not take place in the French Quarter because the streets are too narrow.

We got a behind he scenes tour and were able to see how the artists put the floats together.  The warehouse is huge! This is just part of one aisle.

They use styrofoam to create the images.  Then paper mache over the styrofoam to create a smooth surface for painting.

Next they objects, called props, go to painting.

The props are used again and again from year to year.  The styrofoam is easy to change.  The results are stunning, really, when you can see them up close.

Each "Krewe"(organization that puts on a parade), has their own theme.  The floats are financed by the Krewes where each member pays dues and then has the opportunity to ride on a float.

There is a lot of history behind the parade and the Krewes from their names, to the colors, to the items they throw during the parades.  For instance, there are laws in Louisiana that prevent corporate sponsorship and therefore the parades cannot be televised.  The tour cleared up a lot of misconceptions I had about Mardi Gras and the parades.  Laissez les bons temps rouler!