Jazz Funeral

Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral is back after taking a one-year break due to concerns over Covid-19. To help make the switch from summer to fall a little more palatable, locals and summer residents celebrate the end of the Bethany Beach summer resort season with their annual Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral held this year on Labor Day Monday, September 6 at 5:30 p.m. on the Bethany Boardwalk.

The Jazz Funeral is a lighthearted celebration that allows all those who attend to participate and become part of a “just for fun” boardwalk parade. The 2021 Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral is described as a "Labor Day Farewell to Summer" parade and celebration held on the Bethany Boardwalk that is free to the public, according to Carolyn Bacon and Marie Wright, the assistant chairpersons of this year's Jazz Funeral events.

At the Jazz Funeral, spectators go to the Bethany Beach Boardwalk on Labor Day Monday and can join the funeral procession of mourners. Mourners carry a casket with a mannequin representing "Summer of 2021" from the North end of the Boardwalk to its final resting place at the Boardwalk Bandstand. Music is provided by the combined efforts of three Dixieland Jazz Bands, according to assistant chairperson Bacon.

Part of the Jazz Funeral festivities will be a series of brief reflections and recollections by Bethany residents after the procession arrives at the Boardwalk Bandstand. This year’s end of the summer remarks will highlight the survival of last year's Covid-19 problems to take a look at the lighter side of resort living in the Quiet Resorts, according to assistant chairperson Wright.

One of the distinguishing features of this "End of Summer Season Celebration" is the music. The Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral will feature three bands -- the Dixie Cats, the Jazz Funeral Irregulars, and the Downtown Dixieland Band. The combined bands usually have about 18 pieces that make this event one of the largest regularly scheduled Dixieland band performances on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Also in the planning stages is the return of the Bethany Beach Jazz Funeral Silent Auction on Friday, September 3 beginning at 3:00 p.m. Details are being worked on and an announcement is forthcoming. The beneficiary for funds raised at a silent auction held on the Friday afternoon prior to Labor Day will be named shortly.