Marche Du Nain Rouge 2023: See The Photos
Another year, another fun time at the Nain Rouge Parade!
The Marche Du Nain Rouge is a parade that goes on every Spring in the Cass Corridor of Detroit, Michigan, beginning near Motor City Brewing Works and Third Man Records. The basic premise is that parade-goers often don red, show up in the Cass Corridor and enjoy a Mardi Gras-style party while attempting to banish the “Red Dwarf” from the city and all his bad luck that he brings to Detroit.
The Red Dwarf is part of the city’s lore, who is said to have had a run-in with Antoine Laumet de La Mothe Cadillac, Detroit’s Founder. Cadillac, according to the legend, kicked the Dwarf, and in turn, the Dwarf bestowed a curse on Detroit, creating its bad luck for years to come. The attendees parade down 2nd Avenue to the Masonic Temple (in previous years the parade went down Cass Avenue), hear the Dwarf speak (and taunt), and then he’s shooed from the city for another year.
There were fire and musical performers, lots of dancing in the street, and let’s be real: people-watching is a MUST when you go to Nain Rouge. Many people have taken to dressing in costume for the festivities, from intricate or macabre offerings to 4 women dressed up as Teletubbies. Whatever floats your Tinky-Winky-boat, I guess.
This year, the Nain took a different approach and opted to do viral dances such as the ‘Wednesday’ dance from Netflix’s famed show, as well as a re-imagined parody of “You’ll Be Back” made famous by Jonathan Groff in the Broadway Play ‘Hamilton.’ This time, the organizers did less talking and a lot more performing.
@acronymis
In past years, there were poetry readings, newscaster spots, and a lot of fluff to get to the Nain, but after the brass band got us into the groove outside of the Masonic Temple, the Nain – who has brushed up on their tap dancing moves, knocked it into gear right away. There were activations inside the Masonic this year, but many people also walk to bars on the stretch back to their cars, visiting after parties, or grabbing food at a local joint.
I tried putting it into words in an exchange with WWJ’s Zach Clark on why I feel like this is one of the best events in the Spring in Detroit. It’s most certainly the whimsy of the event that makes it great:
I think it’s the whimsy of it all. Bunch of adults booing (or cheering) this little devil, mixed w/NOLA style marching band & people in costumes. Someone compared it to pretending Santa Claus exists for a little kid – Detroit pretends and parades in the name of Nain!
— AMI NICOLE aka ACRONYM (@acronymis) March 27, 2023
Check out the photos below, and if you feel the desire, join us next year. We’ll be dancing in the street once again.
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Ami Nicole ACRONYM (Photographer + Writer)
Ami Nicole is a Concert + Festival Photographer and Music Journalist who has covered multiple artists of all genres in digital media and in Radio to 60+ stations across the U.S. Some of the acts she's photographed include The Smashing Pumpkins, My Chemical Romance, Billie Eilish, Snoop Dogg, Bring Me The Horizon, Shinedown, and more. See her full portfolio on ACRONYMIS.com.