Endymion - "Ancient Mysteries"

Then it was finally time for the main event, Endymion! The Krewe of Endymion is one of the three Super Krewes. Super Krewes are defined by their stunning use of visuals and floats laced with brand new technology and celebrity Grand Marshals. Their parade has become one of the largest of the eighty parades during Mardi Gras. It is so popular that locals and those in the know begin saving their viewing spots in the early morning hours, even though the parade doesn’t happen until the evening. Endymion gets its name from the figure of Greek mythology, the most handsome of men and the god of youth and fertility.

"2013 promises to be a big year for the Krew of Endymion as they roll out the world's largest Mardi Gras Float and feature pop star Kelly Clarkson as the celebrity grand marshall. The record breaking float will be 330 feet long, hold 230 riders and cost $1.2 million to build. Their 2013 theme is “Ancient  Mysteries.”  Their super-tandem floats will depict such mysteries as Noah's Ark, Atlantis, King Author and many more. The floats will carry over 2,650 masked revelers that they promise “will bombard the enthusiastic crowds with MILLIONS of strands of Mardi Gras beads and Endymion 2013 collectible throws.”

We moved to a different location on Canal street where they didn't have any barricades to hold back the crowds like the other parts of the main street did, so we could get right up next to the float!  You could grab the throws right out of the Krewe members hands and actually touch the floats.  While this was awesome for obvious reasons, it was also a little chaotic as you can imagine.  Police officers and other members of the parade were constantly trying to push the crowd back to make room for the marching bands because they were so huge they took up the entire street.  So the crowd would be pushed back for the bands but would then flood the streets when a float came.  You really had to be paying attention to keep your place and to not get trampled by the constant ebb and flow of the crowd.  But it was fun to have a different parade viewing experience then we had with the other two parades of the day.

Kelly Clarkson was the Grand Marshall for Endymion this year.  We thought it would be a big show when she came by, like she would be on a huge float or in a huge festive outfit.  But no, we didn't even realized she had passed by.  She was on a tiny float and was just wearing a red leather jacket with a black and white checkered scarf.  Booooring! 

We got tons of awesome throws from the Endymion parade.  My bag was so heavy that Bethy and I had to do a team effort and each carry a handle in order to get it back to the hotel.  It was a pretty awesome show!