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Red Cross to benefit from jazz funeral auction Aug. 30

August 5, 2019

A group of local residents is preparing for the annual Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral marking the the end of the summer season, to be held at 5:30 p.m., Labor Day Monday, Sept. 2.

The family-friendly event is a lighthearted celebration with attendees participating in a fun boardwalk parade. A procession of mourners will carry a casket with a mannequin representing Summer of 2019 from the north end of the Boardwalk to its final resting place at the Boardwalk Bandstand. Music will be provided by the combined efforts of three Dixieland jazz bands, evoking the spirit of traditional New Orleans jazz funerals.

"In Bethany Beach, the jazz funeral is celebrated each Labor Day to mark the passing of the summer resort season in Delaware's Quiet Resorts,” said Carolyn Bacon, who serves as assistant event chair along with Marie Wright.

Moss Wagner, a former town council member and Bethany businessman who owned and operated the Bethany Beach Ice Cream Parlor and Moss Boss' Ice Cream Shop, founded this end-of-summer celebration. Wagner's original idea was to have a small party for local businessmen to celebrate the closing of the traditional summer resort season on Labor Day. His initially small party grew into a town-wide celebration featuring a Dixieland band and a funky funeral procession.

A silent auction to raise funds for the American Red Cross of Delmarva will be held at 3:15 p.m., Friday, Aug. 30, at Bethany Blues. For more information or to volunteer, email jazzfuneral@comcast.net, call 302-537-1585 or go to www.jazz-funeral.com.

 

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