PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

The streets of Lake Wales were lined with thousands of people waiting to catch the shiny Mardi Gras beads.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

Colorful costumes and creative floats were welcomed by the masses of smiling people who turned out under blue skies and perfect weather for the annual Lake Wales Mardi Gras Parade.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

This man with the Wild Shiner's float carries strands of glittering beads that will soon bedeck the necks of those clamoring for them.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

Presenting "The All American Ride for the Ta Tas."

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

The Krew of Hubo made this replica of the Grand Hotel with a message on the back of it. The Grand Hotel is undergoing renovations, albeit time consuming. Updates to the hotel's progress will appear from time to time in The Lake Wales News.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

This young lady shows off her glittering headpiece while walking alongside a float, amidst the crowd of people gathered curbside for the parade.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

Even the little children lifted their hands for beads and waved at the floats going by.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

There seems to be a lot of flower power with this colorful float.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

And as is customary with Mardi Gras parades, there were those who walked in stunning array.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

The city streets filled with people early in the day, as vendors arrived with their food and wares for sale.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

This vendor was peddling his colorful Mardi Gras gear.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

Some people rode hefty motorcycles and three wheelers in the parade.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

The Mardi Gras floats were each different in keeping with their own theme. Such floats are often a secret, even until the day of the parade.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

Can a float really float? Well, this float really could float, and perhaps those aboard wished it would. What's it like to "ride" in a rolling boat?

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

The Central Florida Cancer Institute kept with their theme of being the "Krewe for a Cure."

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

The weather was not too hot, and not too cold for such a parade.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

Amongst the things offered in the children's carnival was a table where one could compete for a goldfish. Aah, the joys of childhood. Here, fishy, fishy.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

All kinds of activities were offered at the children's carnival, which was manned by the Lake Wales Police Department.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

Oh, what does the world look like when it spins round and round? This young man is about to find out.

PHOTO BY ROBERT BLANCHARD

So this is how you spin inside something that is already spinning. That would be going around and around, that is. Truly, a ride made for the children, who love going in circles anyway.