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What are New Orleans Second Line Parades?

Writer: Guide Michelle
Guide Michelle
May 23, 2022
3 min read

Updated: Sep 29

Learn more NOLA history & culture, take a walking tour with me- enjoy food & drinks while you get the best of local New Orleans! Learn how Louisiana's unique history shaped the city's cuisine, cocktails & culture.

How do I find a Second Line or walking parade?

The resource for Second Line Parades is WWOZ's Takin It To The Streets. One of the city's biggest is Mother's Day weekend, but you can check that website to see if any are happening while you are visiting New Orleans & get route details- you can also find videos and photos on Instagram. Going TO a second line is being IN a Second Line- it is an unbelievable and unique experience for any visitor. You'll have fun, dance, eat good food, hear great music and be a part of local culture for an afternoon! You may see a wedding or birthday party second line through the French Quarter while you are visiting New Orleans too- feel free to join in the celebration from the sidelines.


New Orleans second line parade

What is the history of the second line and walking parades? Is it different than a jazz funeral?

The second line emerged from the jazz funeral tradition. The term refers to the band and mourners who would follow the casket in the procession, carrying handkerchiefs and parasols or umbrellas. The march was a way for friends and family to celebrate the deceased in their "homecoming" one last time. Soon after, the tradition became a way for social and mutual aid societies to band together for a celebration of their community. There's a t-shirt, "Everything you love about New Orleans is because of Black People".

That statement carries a lot of truth and reinforces the need to appreciate the contributions of Caribbean & African-American roots here, as a warning against gentrification, homogenization, commodification and, ultimately, the erasure of the its culture. People are the real reason people visit New Orleans- people make the food, the music, the celebrations, the history and stories- without it, we don't have much to offer as a city. As a tour guide, part of my job is ensuring the appreciation and recognition of this culture to those outside of New Orleans in an effort to preserve it beyond the work of those involved in it directly.


Often obfuscated and secretive in an effort to protect it, black traditions in New Orleans tend to be oral and passed down through generations and family. Key traditions like Mardi Gras Indian masking, krewes and clubs and second lines represent a living, orally transmitted history that, while protective of its heritage, welcomes all to participate and appreciate.

Where can I learn about second lines, walking parades and Mardi Gras Indians? Is there a museum?

  • Backstreet Cultural Museum holds the world’s most comprehensive collection related to New Orleans’ African American community-based masking and processional traditions, including Mardi Gras Indians, jazz funerals, social aid and pleasure clubs, Baby Dolls, and Skull and Bone gangs. Book a visit!

  • A great interactive virtual exhibit by Historic New Orleans Collection: Dancing in the Streets.

  • Here is a wonderful photo journal in Washington Post about Mardi Gras Indian traditions and how they've come back post-Covid. It has great photos & is a great intro to the traditions and music. If you want to see the Mardi Gras Indians in person aside from Mardi Gras Day, the big celebration to show their suits one last time before retiring them for the year are called the Super Sunday parades on St Joseph's Day weekend (May 19th is St Joseph's Day) and takes place in two areas of the city. Though never guaranteed due to weather, it is a must for any amateur photographer and culture curious visitor to NOLA.

New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian boy

 
 
 

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