Entrants came from all over, residents, school groups, organizations, and clubs, for the 2019 Mardi Gras Shoebox Float Contest.

This entire Mardi Gras season, the entries came in and the voting took place. Some 430 votes were cast by visitors to the Lake Charles Convention & Visitors Bureau, and the People's Choice Award went to Ms. Leah Mallett's class at Prien Lake Elementary. Ms. Mallet, shown with two students, Hannah Thibodeaux (left), and Sahily Leon Ibarra, who had all-hands in on helping create the float.

LCCVB - (left to right) Ms. Leah Mallett, third grade teacher at Prien Lake Elementary accepts the People’s Choice Award on behalf of her class for the winning entry in the Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Shoebox Float contest. Two students from her class, Hannah Thibodeaux and Sahily Leon Ibarra, attended the award ceremony and were instrumental in the creation of the floats.
LCCVB - (left to right) Ms. Leah Mallett, a third-grade teacher at Prien Lake Elementary accepts the People’s Choice Award on behalf of her class for the winning entry in the Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Shoebox Float contest. Two students from her class, Hannah Thibodeaux and Sahily Leon Ibarra, attended the award ceremony and were instrumental in the creation of the floats.
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The CVB holds the contest at this time of the year to showcase our culture and give visitors to the Visitors Center a chance to experience a real Louisiana Mardi Gras float in miniature.

It's estimated that Mardi Gras, with its worldwide recognition, brings some $22 million into Calcasieu Parish annually.

For more information about the CVB or Southwest Louisiana, click here.

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