With the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and vaccinations decreasing, Alabama's port city is staging a Mardi Gras-style parade that will resemble the Carnival festivities that were cancelled earlier this year due to the pandemic.

Nearly 30 floats from Mardi Gras groups will snake through downtown Mobile on Friday night, with high school marching bands, squeals, and blaring speakers providing a backdrop for the crowd, which coincides with the commissioning of a ship. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to attend.