VERMILION PARISH (ABBEVILLE) — Acadiana’s Mardi Gras season officially kicks off this weekend, and behind the scenes, generations of craftsmanship are rolling out floats that will soon fill the streets of New Iberia.
In Abbeville, KATC got a sneak peek inside a longtime float storage facility that shows just how much goes into bringing Mardi Gras to life.
“How long has the storage facility been up?”
“Probably longer than I’ve been alive,” said manager Buford Bolden III.
For generations, the Bolden family has supplied local Mardi Gras parades with one-of-a-kind floats.
Their Abbeville facility, All Seasons Parade Floats, has become a cornerstone of parade preparations across Acadiana.
“Whoever’s the organizer, they contact us, let us know about how many floats we’re looking at renting them,” he said. “We pick them out, get them situated, paint—fresh everything, basically.”
At just 27 years old, Bolden III has taken over day-to-day operations.
“It really feels amazing,” he said. “Especially being 27 and actually running the thing, seeing everybody smile.”
The facility currently houses about 45 floats of various sizes. Smaller “festival” floats are designed for compact krewe entries, while medium “carnival” floats and large “grand carnival” floats can carry up to 40 riders.
One of the newest additions features hand-painted artwork by New Orleans artist Will Landry, who's been working with the family for years.
“This is actually a 2026 [float],” Bolden said. “He did everything with a paintbrush. I’m the one that built them—I can get them built in about a week. Our artist comes, he takes about a week as well.”
According to Bolden, each float costs between $8,000 and $10,000 to build and can support about 1,700 pounds. As parade day approaches, he said safety checks are a top priority.
“Oh, we’re looking at staples, tire pressure, all that."
With final preparations underway, Bolden says he’s most looking forward to seeing the community come together.
“I’m just looking forward to everybody having a good time, being careful, you know,” he said. “We look out for each other, so if everything can go as smooth as possible, that’d be great for me.”
