Krewe of Endymion
By Arthur Hardy

Named for the Olympian god of fertility and eternal youth, the largest krewe in Mardi Gras history was founded in 1967 as a small neighborhood venture in the Bayou St. John-Gentilly area. By 1974, Endymion had grown into a super club. The krewe annually selects celebrity grand marshals such as Dolly Parton, Chicago, and the Beach Boys, who thrill the parade goers and entertain guests at the Extravaganza held in the Louisiana Superdome following the parade. By 2000, the club’s all-male membership reached 2,000 and attendance at its after-parade party totaled more than 15,000.