They stretch the Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans out for as long as possible, with parades, balls and parties over a couple of weeks. But there's one place in New Orleans where every day is Fat Tuesday - at Blaine Kern's Mardis Gras World. A huge hangar on the banks of the Mississippi hides a magical land where the floats are made and stored. I was lucky enough to meet 'Mr Mardi Gras' himself on my visit.
We took a tour, watching the artists at work sketching the floats, sculpting and painting.
Then you can wander around the storage area, past disembodied heads, half-completed statues, and rank upon rank of finished floats, decorated with animals, fictional characters from the big and small screen and from myths and legends, celebrities, politicians and even religious figures. It feels entirely surreal and whilst not the same as experiencing Mardi Gras itself, it's a good second best if you visit outside of February.
As if that isn't enough, you also get to sample a slice of traditional king cake - which seems to basically be a large danish pastry, plentifully iced - and try on a few costumes yourself. This is me as Jay Leno, though I actually thought it was Bill Clinton at the time. A confusion that could have had far-reaching political consequences outside the protective walls of Mardi Gras World...
We took a tour, watching the artists at work sketching the floats, sculpting and painting.
Then you can wander around the storage area, past disembodied heads, half-completed statues, and rank upon rank of finished floats, decorated with animals, fictional characters from the big and small screen and from myths and legends, celebrities, politicians and even religious figures. It feels entirely surreal and whilst not the same as experiencing Mardi Gras itself, it's a good second best if you visit outside of February.As if that isn't enough, you also get to sample a slice of traditional king cake - which seems to basically be a large danish pastry, plentifully iced - and try on a few costumes yourself. This is me as Jay Leno, though I actually thought it was Bill Clinton at the time. A confusion that could have had far-reaching political consequences outside the protective walls of Mardi Gras World...
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