5 Prize-winning Ideas for Your Mardi Gras Float
Planning to participate in a parade for Mardi Gras this February? Make sure that you have what you need to pull off a prize-winning float, display or theme in tribute of Fat Tuesday. Buy Mardi Gras Beads, decorations and accents to help bring an authentic flavor to your float and earn well-deserved recognition. Here are five prize-winning ideas for your Mardi Gras float.
1. Throw a Lot of Goodies to the Crowd
When it comes to a parade, it's all about the throws. Keep the float simple and invest resources in throws like beads, doubloons, cups and stuffed toys for the crowd as you pass. The tossing of throws to the spectators and revelers began back in 1870, and it is something that both young and old spectators look forward to.
2. Honor the Doubloon
Another symbol of Mardi Gras is the much-coveted doubloon. The doubloon began as an undated coin issued to honor the event and provide a memento to celebrants. In the mid-20th century, the doubloon gained a newfound fame as a sought-after Mardi Gras parade throw. Buy doubloons to distribute to everyone you see throughout the parade circuit.
3. Integrate the Mardi Gras Color Palette
Make sure to integrate the traditional Mardi Gras color palette into your float design. Use ornate gold, deep purple and vibrant green to pay homage to the holiday. The Mardi Gras colors were established in 1872 and have an underlying meaning for the holiday. Purple signifies justice, green represents faith, and gold symbolizes power.
4. Incorporate Mysterious Masks
Mardi Gras is also associated with mysterious masquerade balls and the Italian concept of Carnivale, so create a float that displays theater masks in some way. There is something inherently creepy about some of these masks, so use them to evoke a haunted, old New Orleans vibe. Take advantage of this with ghoulish characters, ghostly decorations, and a scary scenario for your holiday float.
5. Do Something With a Dragon
Mardi Gras wouldn't be the same without the dragon. Typically, a dragon makes an appearance at all parades and celebrations during this time of year and it is a familiar symbol of the season for natives. Enlist a couple staffers, friends or associates to wear the long, traditional dragon costume and walk next to your float during the parade procession.
Incorporate as many authentic and symbolic elements of Mardi Gras as you can into your display, which will ring true and make sense to observers and spectators of all ages. You can also use these traditional features of Mardi Gras in a new or unique way to meld traditional and contemporary in a prize-winning float!
Other tips to stand out include:
- Don't skimp on the beads; buy in bulk and be generous to spectators and guests.
- Use fringed table skirts to cover your float's base or trailer. Consider the weather conditions before buying your skirts to ensure that they hold up during the parade.
- Let others know about your float ahead of time via social media.
- Use your float as a marketing opportunity for your business with banners, signage and promotional products to distribute to parade-watchers.
Participating in local parades and holiday events is something that friends, colleagues and your community need to know about. Share information about the event and your float with your patrons and customers in the weeks leading up to Mardi Gras.
Make sure that everyone knows what your float is trying to convey with lots of Mardi Gras Beads, decorations and costumes. Share the festivity and celebration of this holiday by encouraging your family, team or staff to participate in a parade this Mardi Gras.
