SAN ANTONIO – A New Orleans-based float building company is applying the finishing touches on the barges participating in the Texas Cavaliers River Parade.
“We got in last Friday, so we have been basically working around the clock every single day to just basically get from the carpeting down. That was kind of the first stage. Unwrapping all the props. Getting all the props set up on the floats,” said Patrick Kern, director of operations for Kern Studios.
The Kern Studios team has been decorating the floats for the 78th annual parade. KSAT 12 got a sneak peek of the floats on Thursday.
The company brings idea to life for the famous New Orleans Mardi Gras parades and they have some special surprises for Texas Cavaliers River Parade.
“Some new confetti cannons, some fog machines, a lot of new stuff that is going to elevate this parade,” Kern said.
The company is involved in more than 10 Mardi Gras parades a year.
“The theme this year is Fantastic Voyages. We will have over 50 floats decorated in that theme. We have everything from Voyage to the Magic Carpet. We have our Grand Marshal Charlie Duke who walked on the moon in April of 1972 and is on Voyage to the Moon,” said Greg Seay, 2023 Texas Cavaliers River Parade Marshal.
The river parade will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 24.
If you can’t make it to the event, you can watch it live on KSAT 12 and our online platforms.