The Wanderful Woman Parade.

Celebrate women together at Wanderfest!

Join us along with the Le Bon Ton Baby Dolls for our first-ever Wanderful Woman Parade with a traditional brass band and Second Line along the Mississippi River.

Descended from the traditional jazz funeral, a second line parade is a moving celebration of life, rooted in the street culture traditions of New Orleans’ Black community. Historically, the second line refers to the revelers who follow the brass band and family of the deceased (the “first line”) down the street after a loved one is laid to rest, dancing and celebrating their life, whether they knew the person or not. While second lines are still a funeral tradition, they are also organized just for the joy of it. Second lining also refers to a type of dance indigenous to New Orleans inspired by brass band rhythms — the fancy footwork that the Baby Dolls know how to do best.

About the Le Bon Ton Baby Dolls.

The Baby Dolls are a female-dominated Black “masking” Mardi Gras cultural tradition that first appeared around 1912 in the New Orleans’ Storyville red-light district. Traditionally costumed in fancy, colorful satin dresses, frilly socks, and bonnets, Baby Dolls exploited and took back their “hey baby” stereotype by flaunting it, strutting down the street as financially independent, entrepreneurial, and empowered women boldly “walking raddy” (shaking their bodies how they wanted), adorned with cash in their garters, smoking cigars, and spinning embellished umbrellas all the while.

After some time of less activity, the tradition was revived in 2004. Today’s Baby Doll groups bring all the costumes, all the empowerment, all the culture, and all the sass to the party, and to their community — utilizing their public platform to raise funds and awareness for local causes and issues including preserving the city’s sacred and rich Black cultural traditions in the face of gentrification. 

In addition to raddying-up our first-ever Wanderful Woman second line, we’ll have the opportunity to explore the complex history and impact of the Baby Dolls and what they mean to New Orleans culture on a panel discussion during the weekend.

About the bands.

We're thrilled to have the Red Wolf Brass Band and the Brian E. Murray, Sr. Legacy Jazz Band for our parade with the Le Bon Ton Baby Dolls, whose energy and charisma will bring the full New Orleans swing to the party!

What to wear.

Comfortable shoes and clothes that you can dance and walk in for the parade, and into your evening. Bonus for fun colors and accessories!