(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 ...

Mardi Gras floats first appeared in 1857. More than 70 parades roll through the streets of New Orleans during Carnival Season with tens of thousands of maskers on board throwing millions of beads ...

Many krewes require float riders to wear masks to keep the air of mystery alive. Mardi Gras isn’t just for adults—kids love it, too! Smaller parades like the Krewe of Little Rascals are ...

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 ...