What better place to bare it all than down on the bayou? Hoping to promote body positivity and liberation, the Underwear Day Parade will bring participants across Bayou St. John, all the way down to the Magnolia Bridge. The event will start at 7 p.m. on August 5, the day observed as National Underwear Day.
National Underwear Day was first founded on August 5, 2003. The day was founded by Freshpair, an underwear company, in an effort to promote their product. However, it wasn’t until recently that this holiday was given a parade in New Orleans. Organized by Ryan Ballard, the mind behind Chewbacchus, the first Underwear Day Parade rolled through in 2016. As part of its inaugural trip, Ballard tried to set a Guinness World Record—but the Guinness officials rejected making it official.
This year, there will be no worries of records and a bigger focus on helping out the New Orleans community. Paraders involved are being encouraged to bring a package of newly purchased underwear to be donated to New Orleans’s homeless community. Participants who choose not to bring charity undergarments are encouraged to make a $5 donation at the door instead.
