The Makers of Mardi Gras

November 29, 2016.

                        

                                                            

There is a magical corner in the city of New Orleans, on the banks of the Mississippi, where fantasies come to life.  Aw, come on, get yer mind out of the gutter!  I'm not talking about that!

As you probably already know, Mardi Gras is a huge piece of New Orleans history.  At Blaine Kern's Marsi Gras World the props and floats for the annual Mardi Gras Parade are created. 

                            

We hopped off the tour bus (we have a three day pass so we're hopping a lot) and took the guided tour through the open-to-the-public-warehouse that stores and builds the statues and floats. There were only four of us on the tour.  It was awesome.  We watched a movie explaining the history of Mardi Gras, snacked on King Cake (another New Orleans carbo-loaded tasty tradition) and started our tour:

                        

The guide was exhuberant and extremely informative.  She led us through the ginormous building and we were able to get up close and personal with the floats and props.

                       

                                
                
                

It all begins with a plan:

                     

Next, the float adornments are carved from sheets of layers of styrofoam, glued together, covered with papier mache (a few are coated with fiberglass), then sanded smooth and painted.  This is a papier mache finish awaiting the painting process (Iiiii know!): 

                

                                 

                                                

Blaine Kern's family has been in the business since 1947 and they occupy 15 warehouses in all; the others provide year-round storage for the massive floats and multitudes of statues and props.
  
                                                

The guide informed us that 60 employees put everything together and once the bases are formed, 20 people "finish" the statues and floats.  Production begins immediately after the Mardi Gras Parade and it takes a whole year to rebuild, recreate and repurpose the props and floats. 

The annual theme is voted for by a committee.  Floats are only permitted to utilize the same theme for two years.  Then the float must be transformed.

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Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World produces statues and props for many international customers, including international hotels, casinos and other major tourist attractions worldwide.

They also repair pieces that get beaten up by weather/too many flying beads.  He's here to have his broken arm repaired.

Parades can be a bitch.

He still creeps me out.

Yup, they're all here.

Feeling old yet?

My personal fave, it reminds me of when Emma and I used to compete in horsey costume contests at horse shows.:

                               

                               

This is how the original molds for the props were created, piece by piece, to create incomparable magic .... for one day each year:

                    

It was a fascinating experience to see the construction of the real Mardi Gras and its making.

                          


                    

Yes, I confess, I made Doug stand there to show ya'll how big these structures are.  You're Welcome.  

Sorry, Doug.

After our tour, we met The Mighty Mississippi!