Brides of March get stylish (and silly) for a good cause

The popular website The Knot lists March 15 as one of their wedding dates to avoid, but the infamous Ides of March is the perfect inspiration for an event parodying western wedding culture. Dozens of people will don fancy – or frightening – attire this weekend as the Brides of March parade through downtown New Orleans.

The Brides of March began in San Francisco in 1999 as part pub crawl, part street theater. Popularity and participation grew, and the event expanded to other cities. Blake Robertson of GayNOLA marched in Phoenix before moving to New Orleans and was surprised to learn this event was not yet on the local radar.

“There's drinking, dresses, creative costumes, flare, men, women, even a baby was in the 2021 crawl, although he slept through most of it,” said Robertson. “The event is so much fun, it has to become a staple of the festival season.”

The Brides of March organized their first New Orleans second line in 2021 and expect this year’s event to be bigger than ever. Like the popular Red Dress Run held annually, there’s a registration for official Brides of March participants, and the money raised will be donated to charity.

Tulane Total Health is the proud sponsor of this year’s Brides of March event. The Mid-City clinic offers comprehensive care including vaccines, HIV prevention and treatment, gender-affirming care, and more to the New Orleans community.

The Brides of March will crawl through the French Quarter and Marigny this Sunday. For more information and to register, visit the Brides of March – NOLA website.