Blaine Kern Studios

 

January 6, 2009:  Twelfth Night 2009 will reveal a whole new world of magic on New Orleans’ historic riverfront. The occasion is Twelfth Night Magic, a grand opening party celebrating the Blaine Kern Studios complex at the old Delta Queen Steamship Terminal and River City Casino sites. For a company that has contributed more than its share to the mystique and success of Mardi Gras, this creation tops them all. It will greatly impact riverfront commercial development and contribute to the city’s economic renaissance.

 

Embracing over 400,000 square feet along the river, Blaine Kern Studios is New Orleans’ premier entertainment/event complex. It features an enhanced version of the company’s signature Mardi Gras World attraction in addition to New Orleans’ most flexible, functional and distinctive event venues.  The venues —The River City Ballroom and Plaza, The Grand Oaks Mansion, and Mardi Gras World and Plaza — give event planners the scope to host any kind of event of any size in just about any setting imaginable, even dramatic waterside spaces and pavilions.

 

Blaine Kern Studios has been New Orleans’ first family of float builders since 1947. The company is so closely identified with Carnival tradition that Blaine Kern himself is widely known as “Mr. Mardi Gras”. Son Barry Kern has joined New Orleans entrepreneur Joe Jaeger in the formation of Mardi Gras World, LLC. The partnership, doing business as Blaine Kern Studios, is the parent entity of the new riverfront complex.

Mardi Gras World, still under construction and scheduled to open on February 1 (in time for the height of the Carnival season), will be larger, much more ambitious and even more magical than the West Bank original.  The guided tour will take guests through a maze of larger than life figures and props, animated mega-floats and exciting video presentations. Guests will enjoy an inside look at the actual sculpture shop where Blaine Kern artists create wonders loved around the world. In addition to Mardi Gras World, the Blaine Kern Studios complex plans to offer visitors a special venue that will host national traveling exhibits such as “Body Worlds … Exhibition of Real Human Bodies” or “A Slave Ship Speaks: The Wreck of the Henrietta Marie.” 

 

“The expansive space available in the complex opens up endless opportunities,” said Barry Kern. “We’re taking full advantage of those opportunities to create a destination that offers a variety of unique, interactive experiences.”

 

Partner Joe Jaeger described the Blaine Kern Studios event venues as the most attractive in the country’s most welcoming event city: 

 

“Our huge River City Ballroom is the city’s best, an incredibly impressive and flexible venue with a second story mezzanine and sweeping views of the river. Our Grand Oaks traditional Southern mansion is unlike any other event venue in the world. It’s the only complete indoor mansion replica anywhere — with massive oaks, winding walkways and water features. These venues, along with our waterside plazas and Mardi Gras World, can accommodate anything from an intimate wedding to a Mardi Gras ball.”

 

The River City Ballroom hosted its first private event on October 25, 2008, for Longue Vue House & Gardens. The complex has hosted a variety of events since. Twelfth Night Magic will mark the official launch of Carnival 2009 in the city’s most magical setting. Blaine Kern Studios is an exciting prospect for New Orleans’ riverfront. According to Barry Kern, it’s an exciting time for “Mr. Mardi Gras”, too.

“My dad Blaine is like a kid in a candy shop,” Barry Kern said. “We’re opening and he’s still submitting conceptual drawings. I almost threatened to hide his pencils and drafting table after the last submission.”