Jazz Funeral Set to Celebrate the End of Summer

BETHANY BEACH, De – The end of summer can be bittersweet, but in Bethany Beach, a jazz funeral is cause for celebration.

On September 1, the Bethany boardwalk will be filled with people dressed in black, carrying caskets and surrounded by musicians. But no one is mourning a person; they are mourning the end of summer.

Jazz funerals originated in New Orleans and are traditions of funeral processions with spirited jazz ensembles. This theatrical event occurs every year in Bethany Beach on Labor Day and has been celebrated for the past 40 years.

Bethany Beach local Doris Izzo, who lived in Baton Rouge, explained how Bethany pays homage to the original.

Izzo said, “I’ve seen a jazz funeral in New Orleans, so it is kind of similar. It’s the same idea, where they parade around with music and the casket.”

Izzo is not the only local who appreciates this tradition. Mango’s restaurant manager and bartender Owen Boachie has visited the parade for the past nine years. When he isn’t in Bethany, he is a music teacher with a love for the arts.

He explained that his favorite part of the parade is the musicians, saying, “They have trombones, a trumpet that plays the Star-Spangled Banner, and they do such a good job bringing that New Orleans, Dixieland vibe right here to Bethany Beach, Delaware.”

While the parade is fun for everyone, regardless of their jazz knowledge, local jazz musician and instructor Gil Carlson spoke on the significance of jazz music representing, in this case, the life of summer.

“It’s real,” he said. “You have highs and lows. You have the release of emotions in terms of how you are feeling at the moment.”

The parade takes place on the Bethany Beach boardwalk and starts at 5:30 p.m. on Labor Day.