In Branch, in rural Acadia Parish, Karen Thibodeaux and her staff create Mardi Gras costumes at Sew What! Design. Revelers wear the flamboyant creations to strut their stuff at courir de Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras can make a lot of trash, adding up to millions of pounds each year. Now, some parades in New Orleans are cutting down on their environmental footprint by banning plastic beads.