In New Orleans social groups have parades, they pay the fees, the police, and the bands themselves and they register and march usually in remembrance of someone who has passed, and to promote non violence. Anyone can join up and march along, the parade proper aka the front of the parade is called the first line. To be in the first line you must usually be another group, help pay for it, and its a big deal to even get invited.

Behind the first line is usually the band, and then the second line, the second line is what really sets a New Orleans parade off from any other parade you see in America anyway. The second line is made up of people just like you who get themselves a couple drinks and join in the festivities. There is a lot of dancing, and smiling. It may well be the happiest place in the world for just a fleeting moment.

Dawn joined a crew called the Pusyfooters and they were invited to the Lady & Men Rollers Parade yesterday. I was lucky enough to be able to tag along and shoot photos of the parade and the second line. We marched through neighborhoods you probably wouldn’t want to be in alone. It was a truly amazing experience having a feeling like we belong there for once. Usually I feel a little bit like a tourist, and that I’m just kinda tagging along. Yesterday though I really felt like we belonged here. If you haven’t seen my other photo sets, or read about my thoughts on New Orleans, check out my blog. I did a write up on my thoughts about my first second line parade there.

Check out the rest of the photos.