NEW ORLEANS — The music, the culture, and the costumes. It was all on display as one of New Orleans’ largest second-line krewes stepped off in celebration from Armstrong Park Sunday afternoon.
“This is amazing,” said New Orleans resident Beatrice Belisile. “There’s really no words to express what this means to the people, but what I will say though is that it’s for everyone.”
What can’t be expressed in words, is expressed with colorful sights and brassy sounds, parading through the streets.
“A second line is a celebration of culture. It is the pride of the neighborhood,” said Montana resident Kristen Grimm. “It’s great to come out and see a lot of love.”
The Tremé Sidewalk Steppers brings together folks from all over, this time filling the Seventh Ward and Treme neighborhoods with Mardi Gras revelry.
“They spend a year getting these outfits together and it’s just amazing to see people who love their city so much,” said Grimm.
A love that even expands beyond the city to folks like Terrell Blackwell, who drove down with friends from Mississippi, to fall in line.
“We want to know about the heritage of New Orleans. We don’t know much about it, so we came to learn,” said Blackwell.
Under the grand marshal umbrella, Mayor LaToya Cantrell led the way. Along the route, second liners keep stepping forward to the future while not forgetting footprints of the past, all of it in celebration.
“When you see an entire second line doing that, you cannot hep but just feel lifted up,” said Grimm.
A needed lift, since the pandemic silenced the music and emptied the streets last year, making this return even more special.
“We experienced a lot of loss in our city, especially me and so the ability to get out is what’s important to me. What’s important to the city is this is our culture,” said Belisile.
A New Orleans culture celebration as only New Orleanians know-how.