It’s our state’s 200th birthday, which means it’s also the bicentennial of our nation’s oldest African-American neighborhood and cultural epicenter, the historic Tremé.

The birthplace of jazz as we know it and the home of some of the world’s best musicians is being honored all week with a festival that embodies all the characteristics of an authentic New Orleans celebration.

The long list of events offering education, musical celebration, and of course, a block party kicked off this morning with what was arguably the pleasantest press conference anyone has ever attended. Guests were invited to Perseverance Hall in Louis Armstrong Park to listen to jazz music, enjoy coffee and pastries, and pray with Father Quentin Moody of the iconic St. Augustine Church before the presser began.  

During his prayer, Father Moody asked God for “wisdom and spiritual renewal,” imploring residents to “cleanse ourselves of violence and willful murder.” Despite the solemnness of Father Moody’s opening prayer, the tone of the Bicentennial’s event was decidedly joyful. 

Executive Director of the New Orleans Multicultural Tourism Network Toni Rice welcomed the city to celebrate the rich culture of the country’s oldest African-American neighborhood, noting that there are elements of the Tremé’s culture that no HBO series can capture. 

“We want to show the top, bottom, left, and right of the Tremé,” said Rice. “We want to show the areas people aren’t familiar with, more than the Tremé series.” 

One of the most noteworthy events planned is Saturday’s groundbreaking United Second Line. For the first time in history, all of the city’s Second Line groups will parade together. 

Mayor Landrieu’s Cultural Advisor Scott Hutchinson spoke on behalf of Mayor Mitch, who could not attend. Hutchinson lauded residents of the Treme for showing so much respect in their neighborhood. 

“Everything that is good about New Orleans can be traced right back to Treme,” said Hutchinson. “People here are proud, they own their neighborhood. They own the culture of their neighborhood, they protect it and nurture it” Hutchinson said. 

District C Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer was also absent, but she sent her Director of Communications Tia Vice to speak on her behalf. 

“Tremé is a place that anybody, but specifically people of African descent, were all able to be free in some way shape or form. It’s been a place that had nurtured freedom of expression and individuality,” said Vice. 

Community figure and gospel leader Reverend Lois Dejean spoke on behalf of the Tremé’s spiritual community, emphasizing the importance of churchgoers to the foundation of a neighborhood. Dejean encouraged people to utilize social media to blast Friday night’s “Rejoicin’ in Tremé,” event.  

“Listen, everybody you know, everybody you don’t know, get on your twitter, your twatter, whatever it is,” laughed Dejean. “And tell everybody, come out and experience a day you will not believe.” The event will be facilitated by Dwight Webster, and it will include 25 choirs. 

NoDef caught up with the aforementioned Director of Multicultural Tourism Toni Rice for some one-on-one conversation, and Rice says the week’s events offer guests an opportunity to hear some firsthand accounts from those who grew up in the famed neighborhood. 

“The neighborhood was annexed into the city in 1812, but even before that free people of color and immigrants were living there, side by side,” says Rice. “It was ahead of the curve. They could own property, get married, worship in churches, these are all things that African-Americans weren’t allowed to do elsewhere for a long, long time.” 

Tomorrow night at Perseverance Hall (916 N. Peters St.) at 6pm, enjoy a history lesson through a screening of Fauborg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans. The Bicentennial Celebration is all about shining a light on the neighborhood outside of the TV show, which focuses primarily on New Orleans musicians rather than the everyday residents of Treme. 

Wednesday is all about panels at Perseverance Hall, with experts speaking at 11am and 5pm on the ins and outs of life in the Treme. “The Street is like Our Front Room: Family, Culture, and Tradition in the Treme,” will offer listeners in depth stories from Mardi Gras Indians, longtime residents, and historians.

“People on the panels are knowledgeable on the Treme and can give us a complete picture of the neighborhood,” says Rice. 

Following the panels is a Candlelight Block Party on Dumaine, Robertson, and St. Phillip Streets. 

“The block party is open to the public, smack dab in the middle of the Treme neighborhood at the Candlelight Lounge. You can’t get more iconic than that,” says Rice. 

Rice says that while everyone is invited to participate, the block party’s real purpose is to honor residents of the Treme. “We are really asking residents to come out, because this is for them,” says Rice. 

A celebration of the legendary Treme wouldn’t be complete without some of the world’s best music, and guests can enjoy “Let Me Do My Thang! Music, Musicians, and Living a Treme Life,” hosted by Kermit Ruffins. The discussions, held at 11am and 5pm on Thursday, October 18, at Perseverance Hall, will include Shannon Powell, Benny Jones, Sidney Bechet, and many more familiar names.  

“There was a Musician’s Union in Treme,” explains Rice. “People are going to talk about their musical roots—how they got into it, and how it’s always been a part of Treme,” says Rice. 

The events continue all week, with a pub crawl and bar hop, seminars on the neighborhood’s spiritual legacy, and “Brass Under the Bridge,” a tribute to Rebirth Brass Band. 

“They’ve been together for thirty years, and they won a Grammy,” says Rice. “What else is there to say? There is a category for this kind of music now!” 

Come out this week in support of one of the most influential neighborhoods in the world. Check out their website for a full list of events with dates, times, and locations.