This year, he’s got three “big groups” paying him $2,500 each to hold their St. Charles Avenue spots. Some do it for their family, some do it for the throws, but for others – holding a spot on the parade route is a grind. And nobody does it better than Freebird Dittmar. “Gonna have to start petitioning to have Mardi Gras three times a year and I can stop going to work on these houses!” Dittmar, who works as a carpenter outside of Carnival Season, said.