The Rex parade is one of NOLA’s most iconic celebrations of Mardi Gras. The theme changes each year, with approximately 20 floats comprising this annual surprise. But a long-standing Rex tradition lies within a few iconic floats that always remain.
Among these eye-catching traditional floats, such as the King’s Float and The King’s Jesters, there’s the Boeuf Gras, which features riders dressed as cooks – one of Carnival’s oldest symbols. It represents Fat Tuesday feasting before the Lenten season.
There’s no point in messing with tradition when it works so well – most Rex floats still roll on wooden wheels!
– Jim Rapier, Rex representative