Return of the Carnival arms race

Every few years one of the major Superkrewes touches off a new one of these "Who's Got The Biggest Float?" pissing contests. 

NEW ORLEANS - Calling it the longest and one of the most spectacular floats in Carnival, leaders with the Krewe of Endymion on Thursday unveiled sketches for a new super float paying tribute to the former Pontchartrain Beach amusement park.

The “Pontchartrain Beach, Then and Now” float, which will be 330 feet long and capable of holding more than 230 riders, will make its debut in next year’s parade on Saturday, Feb. 9. Sketches of it were unveiled to krewe members and reporters Thursday at Mardi Gras World.

In recent times Endymion has kind of settled in as the world's one and only unchallenged hyperpower in this field, however.  As impressive as the Orpheus parade is, it's hard to imagine them even trying to match this thing. Meanwhile Bacchus, the original Superkrewe, might as well be parading "horses and bayonets" when compared to this aircraft carrier.

Of course, Endymion's true advantage here is being the only krewe that uses the more spacious downtown parade route.  It allows them to stretch their floats to Olympian proportions.. along with their egos.

Krewe captain and founder Ed Muniz said that plans were originally for the float to debut in 2016 or 2017 for the krewe’s 50^th anniversary, but that the timing of next year’s Carnival coinciding with the Super Bowl (Feb. 7, the weekend before Endymion) made for a better debut, with the media spotlight focused on the city.

Because (1) Endymion is the highlight of the spotlight or.. something like that.  And, (2) as everyone knows,  the national media spotlight can't wait to focus in on a local amusement park that went out of business 30 years ago.

Note: For the record, there are still plenty horses and bayonets to go around during Carnival.


Krewe of Carrollton parade 2009 (Photo by me)



Rex Parade 2007. (Photo by djpfoto)