Over the weekend on Saturday, June 11th, the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation partnered with Common to host the second event in the organizations’ Park Exchange Series, bringing the musical experience of New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park to Chicago. The public joined the celebration of the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary in this innovative exchange that will highlight the diversity of park experiences and the breadth of our National Park System. This exchange is part of the #FindYourPark/#EncuentraTuParque centennial celebration for the National Park Service.
For each of the three Park Exchange events, a national park experience is conveyed to – or exchanged with – one of America’s urban centers. For Chicago’s Park Exchange, a New Orleans second line will swing from one musically rich city to another.
“Chicago and New Orleans are two culturally diverse cities with rich histories in music and I’m honored that the National Park Service and National Park Foundation invited me to be a part of this experience,” said Common. “I grew up on the Southside of Chicago and think the second line will be an especially meaningful and wonderful tradition for our community. I hope this event will inspire people to find their park.”
The heart of a second line is its ability to unite communities and encourage them to join the festivities, offering a unique opportunity for the Southside neighborhood of Chicago to experience the culture celebrated at a national park in Louisiana: New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.
Common served as Honorary Grand Marshall for the Park Exchange celebration and kicked off the second line celebration through Washington Park joined by the National Park Foundation, the National Park Service, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and New Orleans’s Treme Brass Band and Black Men of Labor.
CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 11: Common serves as Honorary Grand Marshal at the National Park Service Centennial Event at Washington Park on June 11, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Timothy Hiatt/Getty Images for the National Park Foundation)
The Park Exchange event series is part of the Find Your Park/Encuentra Tu Parque movement, which was launched in March 2015 by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service. Inspiring people from all backgrounds to celebrate and support America’s national parks and community-based programs, #FindYourPark invites people to discover and share their own unique connections to our nation’s natural landscapes, vibrant culture, and rich history.
Some of the most admired companies in the world are supporting the National Park Foundation’s efforts for #FindYourPark, including American Express, Budweiser, Subaru, REI, Humana and Disney. Additional partners include Coleman and Coca-Cola.
A calendar of events taking place across the country to celebrate the National Park Service Centennial can be found at FindYourPark.com/Find.
