*** Welcome to piglix ***

Krewe of Endymion


The Krewe of Endymion is one of only three Super Krewes (using floats and celebrity Grand Marshals), and is the largest of the parades participating in the New Orleans Mardi Gras. Many people begin saving their viewing spots for this parade several days before the parade actually rolls, although spot-saving is widely frowned upon and is discouraged. It was founded in 1966 and named after Endymion {en-dim'-ee-uhn}, from Greek mythology.

Its motto, "Throw Until it Hurts", defines a tradition of being extremely generous with its throws, tossing millions of beads, cups, doubloons and during its annual parade, held the Saturday before Mardi Gras.

The parade is immediately followed with a party called the Endymion Extravaganza. It was held from 1974 to 1980 at the now demolished Rivergate Convention Center. Since 1981, it has been held in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, except in 2006 when it was held at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center due to repairs to the Superdome after Hurricane Katrina and also in 2011 due to its final renovations. The Krewe returned to the Superdome in 2012. During the 2010s, the Krewe has had over 3000 members and over 20,000 guests at its Extravaganza.

The first Endymion parade rolled on February 4, 1967 in the Gentilly neighborhood near the New Orleans Fair Grounds horse racing facility. The parade remained on its original route until 1975, when it was shifted to its now traditional Mid-City route, rolling from Orleans Avenue to North Carrollton Avenue to Canal Street and into the Mercedes Benz Superdome.

The 1979 parade was moved to the Jefferson Parish suburb of Kenner due to a strike by the New Orleans Police Department which forced the cancellation of a large number of parades within the city, including fellow Bacchus and all of the old-line parades, led by Rex, King of Carnival.


...
Wikipedia

...