Parade Floats

This Float Rider Safety Tip Sheet keeps the fun rolling while making sure no one leaves the parade with a bruise—or without their dignity. It’s a quick guide to gentle tosses, aiming for hands instead of heads, sharing throws with the whole crowd, staying aware of street hazards, and hand-delivering heavy or special items. With reminders to hydrate, pace yourself, and hang onto your costume, it’s the perfect balance of party spirit and parade smarts.

From boarding time to bead-tossing finesse, the Float Rider Survival Guide covers everything you need to know to ride safely, look fabulous, and keep the good times rolling. Packed with essential rules—like checking in with your lieutenant, wearing your harness, and keeping glass off the float—plus throw safety tips, packing advice, and the all-important reminder to tip the DJ and driver, this guide ensures every krewe member is parade-ready from start to finish.

If New Orleans were a story, this parade would be the pop-up book version—colorful, over-the-top, and bursting off the page. For our 2026 debut, the Krewe of Les Bon Temps Rouler is rolling out fifteen floats that bottle up the spirit of the Crescent City and send it sailing (or strutting, or shakin’) down the streets. From feathered Mardi Gras royalty to frosty Hurricanes, from historic landmarks to seafood feasts, each float is its own love letter to the city we call home.

New Orleans parades are more than rolling parties—they’re moving works of art, steeped in history, tradition, and a dash of local mischief. Over the years, some floats have become so legendary they’re remembered long after the beads hit the ground. Here are five of the most iconic floats to ever roll through the Crescent City.

When the Krewe of Les Bon Temps Rouler makes its debut on April 4, 2026, we’re not just putting on a parade—we’re creating a rolling, glittering love letter to the city we call home. Our inaugural theme, “All Things New Orleans,” is a celebration of the sights, flavors, legends, and landmarks that define the Crescent City. From the first sketch to the last sequin, every detail is designed to capture the soul of New Orleans.