(NEXSTAR) — For anyone who has ever wondered how the giant floats featured in Mardi Gras parades are created ... of carbon fiber like you would a race car in order to get that much weight ...

12. New Orleans became a Mardi Gras hotspot in 1857 when floats were introduced to the city's parade for the first time. 13. Mistick Krewe of Comus introduced floats to New Orleans Mardi Gras parades.

New Orleans braces for severe weather during Mardi Gras The New Orleans area is also bracing for strong storms, though Fat Tuesday’s traditionally raucous annual rite of parades of floats and ...

The floats. The costumes. The parties. The beads. So many beads. Mardi Gras is a long-standing tradition, filled with fun, families and often, a lot of booze. But there's something really ...