With beads flying, music playing and people dancing, New Iberia’s own Mardi Gras parade had all the elements of the famous celebrations in New Orleans without all the added drama at the annual Krewe of Andalusia event Friday night.

“My son (Jonathan Shopp) is moving here from New Orleans, and he said this parade is much better than the ones they have there,” Linda Freyou of New Iberia said.

Crowds lined the streets of downtown New Iberia as Grand Marshall Ernest Freyou, Iberia Parish president, let the procession of colorful floats, marching bands and dozens of little princesses riding by in the backs of convertibles. 

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And of course, there were the famous Mardi Gras beads being thrown by the parade’s participants.

“I really like the floats and the beads they throw,” Sammy Bond, 7, of New Iberia, said. Bond attended the parade with his brothers Michael, 10, and Skyler Brown, 6, along with his sister Emily Hewitt, 2, and their parents, Laurie and Sam Bond.

“I told them that they could not fight over the beads this year,” Laurie Bond added.

People came from all over the region to witness the parade, with some such as Hazel Kinsey returning to her hometown from Lafayette to catch the event.

However, one of the furthest to travel to New Iberia this year were Nancee and Tom Woud-stra, of Grand Rapids, Mich.

The Woudstras traveled to New Orleans to see their son, Bill Schwab’s, exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Schwab was one of the primary animators for the film “The Princess and the Frog.”

“We had actually heard about this parade in the Fodors guide book and we thought, ‘Why not?’ ” Nancee Woudstra said.

Some floats were decorated in the traditional Mardi Gras colors of gold, green and purple while others were red, white and blue, with the majority of people choosing to wear Saints gear to honor the team’s upcoming appearance in today’s super bowl.

Marching bands from NISH, Westgate, Jeane-rette, Delcambre, Loreau-ville, Anderson Middle School and Belle Place Middle School played throughout the parade, playing songs such as “Celebrate good times” as they walked down the streets.

Despite all the traditional elements, it was a unique aspect that really caught the attention of parade goer Betty Leleux of New Iberia.

“I really liked the crazy guys dressed like movie characters in their crazy car,” Leleux said, chuckling.