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Krewe of Endymion

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Krewe of Endymion
FormationFebruary 4, 1967; 57 years ago (1967-02-04)
FounderEdmond J. Muniz
TypeCarnival krewe
Location
Membership
3,200
Budget
$8,000,000
Websiteendymion.org

The Krewe of Endymion is a New Orleans Mardi Gras super krewe and social organization.

History and formation

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The St. Augustine High School "Marching 100" marching in 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.[1] 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.[2] The first ball was held in 1968.

Parade

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The first Endymion parade rolled on February 4, 1967 in the Gentilly neighborhood near the New Orleans Fair Grounds horse racing facility.[2] The parade remained on its original route until 1976, 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 Caesar's 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 super krewe Bacchus and all of the old-line parades, led by Rex, King of Carnival and the Mistick Krewe of Comus.[citation needed]

The 2003 parade was forced to the Uptown route along St. Charles Avenue by construction of the Canal Streetcar Line,[3] a circumstance which repeated in 2006 and 2007 due to a lack of manpower within the NOPD in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Endymion returned to Mid-City in 2008 and is the only remaining parade in the New Orleans city limits which does not use the Uptown route.[citation needed]

On February 25, 2017, an impaired driver injured between 28 and 32 people when his pickup truck hit two cars and a parade crowd and crashed into a dump truck. Terrorism was quickly ruled out when a breathalyzer test was three times over the legal driving limit.[4]

On March 2, 2019, an impaired driver killed two people and injured seven others when he plowed through a bicycle lane during the parade.[5]

On February 22, 2020, the parade was halted and cancelled after 13 floats, after a spectator was struck and killed between the halves of a tandem float. Following the incident, as well as a similar death during the Nyx parade earlier in the week, the city of New Orleans banned interconnected floats from the remaining Mardi Gras parades that year. Parades were canceled in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As parades resume in 2022, the city may require further safety measures surrounding tandem floats.[6][7][8]

Celebrity Grand Marshals and Performers

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New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson was Grand Marshal of the 2010 parade only six days following his franchise's victory in Super Bowl XLIV over the Indianapolis Colts. Benson was the first celebrity Grand Marshal not from the entertainment industry.[citation needed]

The parade was not held in 2021; it was planned the next year for Saturday February 26, 2022, before Mardi Gras on Tuesday March 1, 2022.[9][10]

Throws

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

Parade Theme

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Unlike many other Carnival Krewes, Endymion announces the season theme months prior to Mardi Gras.

Parade Themes

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  • 2024 Silents Are Golden
  • 2023 Endymion Salutes the Poets
  • 2022 Legends of Fire & Ice
  • 2021 No parade due to COVID-19 pandemic
  • 2020 Endymion’s Historic Dynasties
  • 2019 Wonder Tales of Science Fiction
  • 2018 Jazz - Our Gift to the World
  • 2017 Endymion’s Constellations
  • 2016 Endymion Through the Years
  • 2015 Fantastic Voyages
  • 2014 An Evening at the Opera
  • 2013 Ancient Mysteries
  • 2012 Happily Ever After
  • 2011 American Masters
  • 2010 Abracadabra
  • 2009 Tales of Sleep and Dreams
  • 2008 Endymion’s Salute to Rudyard Kipling
  • 2007 Endangered and Extinct Species
  • 2006 Legends and Lure of Gold
  • 2005 Endymion’s Mythological Menagerie
  • 2004 Saturday Night at the Movies: The Sequel
  • 2003 New Orleans From A to Z
  • 2002 Masquerade
  • 2001 2001: A Space Odyssey - Mankind's Journey into Space
  • 2000 At Home in the Dome
  • 1999 Mardi Gras from the Beginning
  • 1998 Biographies
  • 1997 Les Festivals Internationale
  • 1996 Master Storytellers
  • 1995 Creature Features
  • 1994 Endymion’s Rockumentary
  • 1993 Flights of Fantasy
  • 1992 The World’s Greatest Mysteries
  • 1991 Silver Memories
  • 1990 Saturday Night at the Movies
  • 1989 They Changed the World
  • 1988 New Orleans, This is Your Life
  • 1987 I'd Rather Be...
  • 1986 What Might Have Been
  • 1985 Come to the Mardi Gras
  • 1984 It Was a Very Good Year
  • 1983 Myths and Legends
  • 1982 Literary Treasures
  • 1981 Heartbeat of America
  • 1980 Broadway on Parade
  • 1979 Endymion, A Thing of Beauty
  • 1978 The Superstars
  • 1977 It’s a Small World
  • 1976 Hail to the Chiefs
  • 1975 America Celebrates
  • 1974 Endymion Salutes the Ladies
  • 1973 Golden Reflections
  • 1972 Fables and Folklore
  • 1971 New Orleans, American's Most Interesting City
  • 1970 Kingdoms Revisited
  • 1969 Music... and that Reminds Me
  • 1968 Highlights of the Silver Screen
  • 1967 Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Samedi Gras

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Samedi Gras is the Endymion pre-parade block party located between Carrollton and City Park Avenue. Samedi Gras begins at noon on parade day. The Captain and riding celebrities arrive early and address the crowds and the Endymion Parade begins shortly after.

Endymion Extravaganza

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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; 2011 due to ongoing renovations; and 2023 and 2024 due to extensive renovations in advance of Super Bowl LIX. The Krewe is scheduled to return the Extravangza to the Superdome after its March 1, 2025 parade. During the 2010s, the Krewe has had over 3000 members and over 20,000 guests at its Extravaganza.[citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ Laborde, Errol. "Carnival's Top 10 Parades". The New Orleans Magazine. Retrieved 2018-07-09.
  2. ^ a b Spera, Keith (2016-11-02). "Endymion at 50: How Ed Muniz created Mardi Gras' biggest parade". The New Orleans Advocate. Retrieved 2018-07-03.
  3. ^ "Endymion's Mid-City return may uproot 2 krewes". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  4. ^ Mass casualty traffic incidents like Endymion's are rare, but do happen nola.com
  5. ^ The Advocate Staff. "2 killed when suspected drunk driver struck them in New Orleans on Esplanade have been ID'd". The Advocate. Retrieved 2019-05-21.
  6. ^ "Tandem float ban: 'It's a real problem' says Carnival historian Laborde". WWLTV.com. Tegna Inc. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  7. ^ Masson, Rob. "Calls for new tandem float restrictions after Nyx death". Fox8Live.com. Gray Television. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  8. ^ "Tandem floats eliminated from remaining parades after Endymion accident, officials say". NOLA.com. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  9. ^ "2022 Mardi Gras Parade Schedule". Mardi Gras New Orleans. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  10. ^ "Endymion Extravaganza 2022: Diana Ross, Maroon 5 to headline". WWL TV. November 8, 2021. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
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