Fitz Kern is a New Orleans–based cultural entrepreneur and creative leader best known for his work preserving and advancing one of the city’s most iconic traditions: Mardi Gras. As President of Kern Studios, he oversees a world-renowned float design and fabrication company responsible for the spectacular parade floats seen throughout New Orleans’s annual Mardi Gras celebrations. Founded in 1947 by his grandfather Roy Kern, the family business has grown into a cornerstone of Carnival culture and a major creative workshop producing elaborate floats, sculptures and themed installations. 

Under Fitz’s leadership, Kern Studios continues to combine traditional craftsmanship with modern engineering and design to create large-scale parade floats used by Mardi Gras krewes across New Orleans. The studio also operates Mardi Gras World, a working float-building facility and visitor attraction that offers behind-the-scenes insight into the artistry and engineering behind Carnival celebrations. Through this work, Fitz has helped preserve an important cultural heritage while introducing visitors from around the world to the traditions and artistry of New Orleans’s most famous festival. 

Carl Mack is a New Orleans cultural preservationist, performer and museum founder dedicated to celebrating and safeguarding the traditions of Mardi Gras and the wider heritage of Louisiana’s Carnival culture. With a lifelong passion for the artistry, craftsmanship and storytelling behind Mardi Gras celebrations, Mack has spent decades collecting, restoring and interpreting historic costumes, artifacts and traditions associated with the festival. 

He is the founder and curator of the Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture in the French Quarter, a vibrant institution that showcases hundreds of elaborate Mardi Gras costumes, including pieces worn by royalty, krewe members and notable figures from Carnival history. Through immersive displays and guided experiences, Mack offers visitors a rare behind-the-scenes look at the creativity and cultural significance of one of the world’s most famous celebrations. 

Known for his charismatic storytelling and deep knowledge of Carnival traditions, Mack regularly hosts tours, educational talks and cultural events that bring the history of Mardi Gras to life. His work focuses not only on preserving costumes but also on celebrating the communities, artisans and performers who keep these traditions alive year after year. Through his museum, public appearances and cultural advocacy, Mack has become an important ambassador for New Orleans’s unique heritage and a passionate voice for protecting the city’s artistic traditions for future generations.