The Backstreet Cultural Museum, known as “A Powerhouse of Knowledge,” will hold its annual All Saints’ Day Parade and Commemoration on Saturday, November 1, 2025. Established in 1999 by the museum’s late founder Sylvester “Hawk” Francis, the event honors the lives and legacies of beloved ancestors and community members who have passed on.

This year’s procession will be led by Benny Jones and the Treme Brass Band, beginning at 2:00 p.m. at St. Augustine Catholic Church (corner of Henriette Delille and Governor Nicholls Streets). The parade will proceed to the Backstreet Cultural Museum at 1531 St. Philip Street, where commemorative prayers will be offered, followed by a solemn “roll call” of names in remembrance of those who are gone but not forgotten.

Continuing the tradition, Sylvester Francis will be remembered among this year’s honorees, alongside cultural torchbearers and friends Irma Lee Rudolph, Annette Tassin, Pableaux Johnson, Ruth Margaret Jones, Randolph “Mookie” Square, and Malcolm “Wildman” Williams.

Following the ceremony, attendees are invited to enjoy refreshments. Local organizations Keep the Culture Alive and Uptown Gatekeepers will also distribute school supplies to families in attendance.

Before the Backstreet procession, Voodoo Queen Kalindah Laveaux and her Sisters will gather at 1:00 p.m. at the Tomb of the Unknown Slave on the Governor Nicholls side of St. Augustine Church to observe All Saints’ Day in their own spiritual tradition.

Community members are encouraged to wear memorial T-shirts honoring their loved ones and to bring children to experience this powerful day of remembrance and cultural celebration.