Porches on Parade: How House Floats Saved Mardi Gras

Twerkers dance with bounce superstar Big Freedia in this Uptown float house. The artwork was produced by Maddie Stratton and Coco Darrow, of Stronghold Studios, following a concept by Dr. Sarena Teng. Chris Granger / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

The owners of a Lakeview neighborhood home captured the ambient angst of the pandemic perfectly, with their second-story kraken and selection of celebratory skeletons. Doug MacCash / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

The house float phenomenon had as much to do with the custom of individual costuming as float design. David Grunfeld / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

In Covington, a New Orleans suburb, the crawfish were sharing a hot tub as they waited out the pandemic. Chris Granger / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

Will the house float craze continue in 2022, if a more normal Carnival is possible? Chris Granger / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

The ‘Star Wars’-themed house float on Opelousas Street, where Stormtrooper Mike Wolanski playfully aimed a blaster at passing kids and posed for pictures, was especially popular. Doug MacCash / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

An Uptown house float captured the city’s sense of longing with a selection of phrases heard only during the Carnival season. The collection of voice bubbles was created by Robert Gassiot, Michael Clement, Naomi Duffey, Gwen Tucker and Tina Ferrera. Doug MacCash / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

The owners of Commander’s Palace restaurant hired the Krewe of Red Beans to create house float decorations celebrating the late clarinet maestro Pete Fountain, whose Half-Fast Walking Club begins each Mardi Gras morning at the renowned dining spot. Sculpture by Lisa Browning and Daniel Fuselier. Sophia Germer / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

A satiric superhero dubbed ‘Super Spreader’ carries the COVID-19 virus up, up and away from a house float presented during the Krewe du Vieux’s Jan. 30, 2021, ‘stationary parade.’ The group, known for its bawdiness and biting political satire, was one of the first parading organizations to envision scattered exhibits as an alternative to conventional parading. Sophia Germer / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

Megan Boudreaux, also known as ‘Admiral B,’ sparked a citywide craze when she founded the Krewe of House Floats. Doug MacCash / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

Bourbon Street was eerily empty early Mardi Gras morning 2021. The city’s prohibition on crowds and the sale of alcohol, plus the chilly weather, prevented a second superspreader event like Fat Tuesday 2020. David Grunfeld / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

‘A lot of people say they have been depressed, and the porch cheers them up,’ Kook Teflon said of her ‘Kook’s Haus O Fortune’ house float. ‘There have been pandemics throughout time. We have to find ways not to sink into our hopelessness.’ The installation includes artwork by artists known as Teflon, The Slurge, Crude Things, Lady Baby Miss, Boogmanson and Mudlark Puppets. Jeff Strout / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

The title of the Krewe of Red Beans’ ‘Birds of Bulbancha’ house float refers to the Choctaw name for the land now occupied by New Orleans. Chris Granger / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

Love in the time of Mardi Gras and a coronavirus pandemic: Demian and Angela Estevez kiss through their masks while hanging out on their house float, ‘The Night Tripper.’ Chris Granger / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

Carnival wasn’t the only festival the Crescent City lost during the pandemic. The 2020 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was one of the early casualties, but the folks on Fortin Street, near the Jazz Fest grounds, conceived a house float to keep the festival spirit alive. Design by Valerie Landry. Chris Granger / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

The all-female Krewe of Muses was unable to parade in 2021 but celebrated its namesake demigoddesses with an enchanting house float conceived by artist Susan Gisleson. Max Becherer / The Times-Picayune | The Advocate

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Porches on Parade: How House Floats Saved Mardi Gras

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About the book

Get the hardcover book that showcases a unique Mardi Gras experience in New Orleans

Name: Porches on Parade: How House Floats Saved Mardi Gras
Brand: The Advocate (Baton Rouge, LA)
SKU: 9781597259675
Price: 27.95 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781597259675

Get the hardcover book that showcases a unique Mardi Gras experience with "Porches on Parade: How House Floats Saved Mardi Gras." When the parades were canceled, the resiliency of New Orleans shined again and the community came together to show the world that you can’t stop the Carnival spirit. This limited-edition book features compelling stories and colorful photos from the award-winning journalists of The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate, and is sure to be an inspiration for future generations.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to local artist funds.

Specifications

Title: Porches on Parade: How House Floats Saved Mardi Gras
Hardcover, limited edition
ISBN: 9781597259675
144 pages
Size: 11.25" x 8.75" x 0.5"
Published by Pediment Publishing
Printed in North America
Available now

Presented bY

Specifications

Title: Porches on Parade: How House Floats Saved Mardi Gras
Hardcover, limited edition
ISBN: 9781597259675
144 pages
Size: 11.25" x 8.75" x 0.5"
Published by Pediment Publishing
Printed in North America
Available now

Presented bY

About the book

Get the hardcover book that showcases a unique Mardi Gras experience in New Orleans

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to local artist funds.

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