LAFAYETTE — The race to Mardi Gras weekend is underway and for one of Lafayette's biggest krewes, Bonaparte, members are dashing through preparations.
"We're in the sprint portion of Mardi Gras now, getting ready for Saturday night, says Duke Matthew Casbon. "Getting all the floats ready, get your floats ready, get your beads ready, get generators ready, all those things you can do."
Bonaparte's parade will roll on Saturday, but members have spent all week getting things in order and lining floats with shiny throws.
It's a lot of heavy lifting, a lot of work that we really enjoy doing", says Chairperson Regan Tatford. "It allows us to put on a good show come Saturday night on Johnston for everyone to come see us."
Tatford, a former Army officer reveals, that all 31 floats made way from Coteau and the transport is similar to his serving days.
"It feels like I'm about to deploy an entire brigade to Afghanistan or Iraq. We have a lot of volunteers who are ready to step up and help us out in that endeavor."
Having loads of throws and other goodies, worth about $250,000, the krewe is consistent on buying local.
"Our krewe orders hundreds and thousands of things and we make it a point to reach out to local bead vendors and make it a point an opportunity to earn our business. We want to keep it here in Lafayette."
But when it's all said and done, and the wheels begin to turn , the krewe of Bonaparte's goal is to show up and show out while serving the Lafayette area.
"Just looking for people who are having as much fun in the crowd as we are on the float, really just sharing that experience with city of Lafayette and the Acadiana area and whoever comes out to the parade. We want to have just as much fun as we're having out there."
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