When I was a kid, my favorite Mardi Gras parade was Endymion. I loved Endymion for reasons most New Orleans kids can relate to—they threw the most plastic crap. They were also one of the first parades to embellish plain strands of beads with a krewe-branded medallion. It read “Token of Youth,” a fine sentiment for Carnival’s invitation to the inner child in all of us.
How times have changed. I wish I could report that I was boycotting Endymion this year because they’ve invited a Fox News ideologue, Raymond Arroyo, to ride with them. But that would be dishonest. The truth is that Endymion lost its luster for me years ago. The last time I went to that parade was perhaps ten years ago; and my interest was more in the Mid-City block party surrounding it than in the parade itself. Endymion is the most Vegas of all the Carnival parades – gaudy, glitzy, big – but not particularly imaginative or attractive.
