Stanley’s Famous Pit Barbecue to Hold Mardi Gras Party and Second Line Parade Benefitting PATH Tyler
Stanley’s Famous Pit Barbecue will be holding its fourth annual Second Line Parade and Mardi Gras Party benefitting PATH on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at Stanley’s Famous Pit Barbecue located at 525 S Beckham Avenue in Tyler.
PATH chose eight community members to serve as their fundraising court members, and the court members who raise the most donations will be crowned Mardi Gras King and Queen at the event. The event raised more than $40,000 for PATH in 2024.
The 2025 Mardi Gras Court members are Dustin Becker, Henry Bell, Elena Gomez, Daniela Jackson, Casey Muze, Candace Polk, Nicole Robbins, and Alan Wharton.
The event will start with a traditional New Orleans second-line parade from PATH headquarters, located at 402 W Front St, to Stanley’s Famous Pit Barbecue with an escort by the Tyler Police Department down Houston Street.
Tyler Transit will provide shuttles from Stanley’s to the PATH parade start. Parade-goers can park at Stanley’s and ride the shuttle from 5:00 pm until the last at 5:45 pm. The shuttle pick-up is at Oakland Avenue near the rear entrance to Stanley’s.
Ride-sharing is encouraged, and a ride-sharing zone for pick-ups will be established at the front of the restaurant, utilizing some of their curbside to-go parking spots.
The brass bands will gather at PATH and play on-site at 5:30 pm.
The second line starts at 6:00 pm and is led by the Tidal Wave Brass Band, flying in from New Orleans, Louisiana. Trumpeter and New Orleans native John Perkins Jr leads the band, featuring Caleb “Shake” Windsay (Rebirth Brass Band) on Trombone, Morale Hoskins (Tidal Wave Brass Band) on Sousaphone, and Glen Finister Andrews (Preservation Hall Jazz Band) on drums. The Mississippi Bastard Project (also known as The Revelers Hall Band from Dallas, TX) and other special guests, including Texas College band students, will also be playing in the second line.
Tidal Wave Brass Band will continue playing the rest of the evening after marching the second-line into Stanley’s.
This is a family-friendly event, and children are welcome to participate.
What is a second-line parade? The Second Line is a tradition organized by Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs (SAPCs) in New Orleans, Louisiana. The “mainline” or “first line” is the main section of the parade, with the members of the SAPC leading with the brass band. The Second Line consists of people who follow the band to enjoy the music, dance, and engage in “community.” The Second Line’s participants dance and walk along in a free-form style. Exuberant dancing in the streets and sidewalks is part of the second-line experience!
All proceeds from the event will benefit PATH (People Attempting To Help). Since 1985, PATH has bridged the gap in our community between generous people with caring hearts and our neighbors in need. PATH volunteers and staff serve over 25,000 people from Smith and surrounding counties each year. PATH’s Choice Food Pantry is the largest in the region, operating 40 hours weekly, and many of PATH’s emergency assistance programs and the Transitional Housing program are unduplicated in our community. About 150 families daily come to downtown Tyler seeking hope and help from PATH.
Stanley’s is the oldest BBQ joint in Tyler, TX, serving up award-winning, East Texas-style pit barbecue for 65 years, and has the worst parking in Tyler.
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