Kevin Costner, who starred and directed in the Oscar-winning film Dances with Wolves, will ride as Endymion’s grand marshall this carnival season - the Krewe announced Monday.

Associated Press

Actor Kevin Costner will ride as Endymion's Grand Marhsall for the 2008 carnival season.

Costner has been in dozens of films but is best known for the 1990 film that won for Best Picture, Best Director and for which he was nominated as Best Actor.

Costner’s ride will come as Endymion, arguably the most popular local parade, returns to its traditional Mid-City route after two years Uptown following Katrina.

Last year, city officials would not allow the Krewe to roll down the Mid-City route because of safety concerns and fears the neighborhood could not handle it.

The party and concert on the neutral ground of Orleans Avenue before the parade will also be back in 2008.

For the first time, the Krewe accepted sponsors with Red Baron Pizza and Frito Lay covering the $50,000 price tag for the concert.

For it, there will be a Red Baron float on the neutral ground and a Red Baron flyover over the parade.

During a news conference Monday, the captain dismissed concerns that sponsors will make the event more commercial.

“We're trying to cover that expense of that event out there,” said Endymion Captain Ed Muniz. “Never asked the city for a penny, from any economic development fund or anything else, wanted the event to keep going.”

With 31 floats and 2,400 riders, Endymion is one of the city’s largest parades – it traditionally rolls the Saturday before Fat Tuesday.