Mobile, Alabama’s Ben Kaiser (@ben.kaiser_art) is the owner and CEO of Mirth Artists, a Mardi Gras float production company. He and his team work year-round to design and build traditional papier-mâché floats for several of Mobile's most historic krewes including the Knights of Revelry, Crewe of Columbus, and Infant Mystics.

Every year, Kaiser consults with each group's parade committee to develop relevant themes and new, jaw-dropping designs. Then, together with his team of 15 artisans, they bring them to life as large-scale rolling tableaus. His mission, he says, is to preserve and showcase Mobile’s 300-year-old Mardi Gras float-building tradition.

Arts Fell on Alabama airs weekly on Troy Public Radio. © 2026 Alabama State Council on the Art. 

Sound Credits: 

Car Arriving, Idling, and Pulling Away by leonelmail -- https://freesound.org/s/429405/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 

MardiGras-Rex_2011_parade-amb.wav by soundesigner --https://freesound.org/s/116398/ -- License: Attribution 4.0