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Discover Where Magic Is Made. Kern Studios was founded in 1932 as a float building company for New Orleans’ Mardi Gras parades. Since then, Kern Studios has expanded across all areas of specialty fabrication and creative theming. For nearly 80 years, Kern Studios has been the premier float builder for the Mardi Gras carnival season, a New Orleans tradition that dates back to the 1700s. Building Mardi Gras parades is a year-round effort at Kern Studios. You can get a peek into the process at Mardi Gras World, our working warehouses that are open to the public. Rooted in the unique Mardi Gras culture of New Orleans, Kern Studios is the premier specialty fabrication company for parades, custom 3D props for outdoor advertising, and themed environments. Kern Studios strives to create memorable entertainment experiences that exceed clients’ expectations by combining tradition and innovation. Kern Studios, the world leader in float creation, has been a part of Mardi Gras history since 1932. Now the family-owned and operated business designs and builds floats for festivals and celebrations all over the world. Kern Studios is a float building and entertainment design production company based in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.The studio creates large floats for events like Mardi Gras in addition to props and themed environments for theme parks, casinos, and corporate entities. Kern created an over-the-top, lifelike King Kong float that was revealed at a Mardi Gras ball. The float had moving arms, red eyes, and a group of krewe members dressed the part to bring the The early days of what has grown into Kern Studios started with Roy Kern, a local artist-turned-sign-painter who worked his way through the Depression by painting names and signs on the bows of freighters and barges. Roy and his son Blaine built their first Mardi Gras float together on the back on a mule-drawn wagon in 1932. Now you can see the parade floats and props used in many of our largest Mardi Gras parades and learn about how they are made right here at Mardi Gras World! Since 1947, Kern Studios has built the breathtaking floats that are seen in Mardi Gras parades and in celebrations, both in New Orleans and around the world&ellips; all housed at Mardi Gras The facility, operated by Kern Studios, spans 250,000 square feet and is one of 20 warehouses in the city where Mardi Gras floats are designed, constructed, and stored. Founded by Roy Kern over 90 years ago, Kern Studios remains a family-run business and continues to shape the spectacle of Mardi Gras. Barry Kern, CEO and president of Kern Studios and Mardi Gras World, checks on the alignment of a row of footballs on the side of a Tostitos-themed float on Thursday, February 6, 2025 as he and his Covid-19 brought new challenges to the city of New Orleans, including the hard decision to cancel the traditional Mardi Gras parades in 2021. The mayor herself declared that Mardi Gras would celebrate in its own way, stating that Mardi Gras 2021 would be "different, but not canceled". Since 1947, our artists and craftsmen have designed and built the oldest and biggest parade floats and attractions for each Mardi Gras season, with over 500 floats built and decorated each year. When you begin your Mardi Gras World tour, you’ll get an overview of the history of Mardi Gras in New Orleans before continuing through our float den Kern Studios, which builds Mardi Gras floats for parades in New Orleans and beyond, was featured in a QuickBooks commercial during Eagles game for NFC championship. From humble beginnings after World War II, he became the city’s dominant float builder and a key player in the formation of new Mardi Gras krewes — transforming what was once essentially a seasonal ritual for locals into an internationally recognized, mass-entertainment spectacle that has witnessed a huge expansion in the annual number or parades, media coverage, tourist interest and Kern Studios, the world leader in float creation, has been a part of Mardi Gras history since 1932. Now the family-owned and operated business designs and builds floats for festivals and celebrations all over the world. Known for its spectacular parades, floats, marching bands, throws, and King cake, Mardi Gras is the biggest celebration in New Orleans. The first recorded Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans took Kern Studios is now under the third generation of Kern leadership. Blaine’s son Barry Kern is the CEO and President of Kern Studios and Mardi Gras World. Barry has taken Kern Studios from a local Mardi Gras float building company to one of the world’s premier entertainment production and specialty fabrication companies. Mardi Gras in New Orleans is known for the celebrations and parades. Kern Studios is the manufacturer of the floats and they take 50 weeks to make. And there are the Mardi Gras floats! There are Mardi Gras floats that feature oversized figures of NFL players, 14-foot tall three-dimensional Marilyn Monroes and huge supermen. Massive clowns and enormous gorillas drift by on these dazzling, brilliantly colored, glittering floats. The moving Mardi Gras floats are eye-catching, animated, well For anyone who has ever wondered how the giant floats featured in Mardi Gras parades are created, Mardi Gras World in New Orleans offers a behind-the-scenes look at the artistry and craftsmanship
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Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
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