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" One of the most exciting parts of Mardi Gras is the extravagant floats that flood the streets of The Big Easy from January 6 until Fat Tuesday, the last day before Lent. Organized and paid for since 1872 by &amp;quot;krewes&amp;quot;\u2014nonprofit organizations made up of locals who plan parades and balls throughout the Carnival season\u2014most floats are the artistic mastery of one shop: Blaine Kern Studios. In business since 1947, the float-building company&amp;#039;s complex includes Mardi Gras World, which houses many of the floats when they aren&amp;#039;t in use. In honor of Mardi Gras, Blaine Kern Studios gave us a peek at some of their favorite (and most impressive) creations. Want to see more? Head down to New Orleans any time of the year for a tour of their enormous facility. Bacchasaurus  Founded in 1968 by local business leaders who wanted to revitalize Mardi Gras, the Bacchus krewe, which now boasts over 1,350 members and 33 floats, is known for organizing one of the most spectacular parades held during Mardi Gras. This gentle dinosaur was created by Blaine Kern Studios in 1972, and has rolled in the Bacchus parade ever since. Leviathan  &amp;quot;This is probably our nicest float built to date,&amp;quot; Mardi Gras World Event Coordinator Brian Kern says of the Leviathan, which was rolled out in 1998 and, at 140 feet, was the largest float at the time, as well as the first ever to use fiber-optic lighting. Since its debut, the sea monster has been part of the parade for the Orpheus krewe, which was founded in 1993 (in part by Harry Connick, Jr.) and hosted their first parade one year later. S.S. Captain Eddie  Though the Leviathan was the biggest float when it debuted, the Endymion krewe\u2014whose parade takes place the Saturday before Fat Tuesday\u2013\u2013stole the title in 1999 with its 240-foot S.S. Captain Eddie float. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s almost a football field in length when the five sections are hooked together,&amp;quot; says Kern. &amp;quot;And it can hold about 225 riders.&amp;quot;  She Jester  This She Jester prop is one of the thousands of Mardi Gras float props housed at Mardi Gras World. &amp;quot;We have floats and props that go back to the turn of the century,&amp;quot; says Kern.  Medusa  According to Kern, many of the krewes&amp;#039; names and parades are influenced by Greek and Roman mythology. Medusa (with her tangle of snakes for hair), who is legendary for turning onlookers into stone, makes her way onto plenty of parade floats, but is housed at Mardi Gras World between seasons. King Gator  NOLA isn&amp;#039;t the only place where you can get a glimpse of these gorgeous creations. Each year, Universal Studios Florida in Orlando hosts a Mardi Gras celebration that includes live music at their French Quarter Courtyard and a parade through the streets of the theme park. Blaine Kern Studios has designed many of the floats for the event, including this now-famous King Gator, which was so popular that a replica was made for the New Orleans festivities. Tribal Warrior  This tribal warrior, shield in hand, is part of the Zulu krewe&amp;#039;s parade each year. The organization, founded in 1909, offers a Ride with Zulu package, entitling you to a seat on one of their floats, a costume, an invitation to their party and more\u2014an insider view of the event, all for $1,500. Photos courtesy of Blaine Kern Studios "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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