Comedy radio repeats itself a lot. And once in a while a bit comes up about a comedian who went to New Orleans, presumably before Katrina or Covid. He talks about how for a few hundred dollars and minimal notice, you can organize a private parade for yourself and a few buddies. The money includes a big band, a few police officers to accompany the parade, help in drafting a route and advice such as saving money by bringing and drinking open bottles of liquor.
It left me with some questions.
Was this actually true? Is it true now?
If it is true, have you done it or do you know anybody who has?
If it is true, why hasn’t this awesome tradition caught on elsewhere?
This is absolutely true. My friend moved to New Orleans a few years ago and shortly after got married there. We all went down and had an amazing time, and the “official” ending of the wedding was the “second line,” in which the entire party walks a predetermined route from the venue to some other place, accompanied by the police, and a full jazz horn band. We crossed at least one major street in the French Quarter, stopping it cold for a good 10-15 minutes (it was a pretty big wedding) and there was no angry honking or yelling, everyone just accepts that it’s a thing that happens. It’s a positive, celebratory thing and everyone seems to enjoy it, even the people inconvenienced by it.
It was an awesome experience, and I even remember joking at the time myself that it was amazing that anyone with a few hundred dollars could shut down a street for 10 minutes with the city’s permission and protection.
All my friend had to do was fill out a few forms a month or so ahead of time and pay about $400. I believe the minimum time ahead is like 2 weeks. You also have to hire a band. There are companies that provide a full-service package where they do all of this stuff for you for a premium.
My nephew had a destination wedding in NoLa. After the wedding we did have a parade. IIRC it was mostly in the central business district and we didn’t go into the nearby French Quarter. June is not an optimal time to visit, but it wasn’t too hot/humid.
The Mrs. and I witnessed one such parade a few years back, on Frenchman street where the native NOLAns tend to party. It was amazing! We joined for half a block.