I don’t blog that much about my favorite dance “The Lindy Hop“, but for today’s post I want to share with you an event that is close to my heart-ULHS…The Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown in New Orleans. And why today? Well this weekend marks the very last time this event will run, as the organizer is hanging up her hat (after 14 years) and letting it become a slightly different event called the New Orleans Swing Dance Festival.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -Lindu Hop on the Street.
Photo: Dean Villafuerte

What was ULHS? Well simply, it was a weekend in New Orleans (birthplace of Jazz) that featured Lindy Hop Dance competitions, Live New Orleans music, jazz club dance crawls, Second Line Parades, cool vintage buildings for dance venues and so much dancing! It was pure magic and one of the best events I have every attended.

Check out this AMAZING Video created for its 10th Anniversary that features outstanding Lindy Hop and takes you from its original start in Minneapolis to its final stop in New Orleans (seriously..watch this video).

Now for today’s blog I wanted to fill it up with pictures and some videos of the weekends I attended (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) to create one big I LOVE ULHS post.

Let’s Begin…

New Orleans

New Orleans Street Sign - Bourbon St
Photo: Dean Villafuerte

The Saint Louis Cathedral is the oldest Cathedral in North America, founded as a Catholic Parish in 1720 along the Banks of the Mississippi River in New Orleans.

The Saint Louis Cathedral is the oldest Cathedral in North America, founded as a Catholic Parish in 1720 along the Banks of the Mississippi River in New Orleans

My friends and I outside of Anne Rices Old House (I think it was lol).

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans

We ate at so many yummy restaurants, like our favorite Coop’s. IT’S THE BEST PLACE TO EAT IN NEW ORLEANS!

Coop's New Orleans

And another favorite of ours “Yo Mama’s” even at one point had a very interestingly placed pole in their dining room (it sadly is behind a wall now).

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans
Yo Mama's New Orleans

The Music and Second Line Parades

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans- Music on the street in New Orleans

d.ba. was a sweet place to listen and dance to music. They had a great selection of beers as well. -Washboard Chazz-

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans had a dance at D.B.A. a super place to eat, drink and dance in New Orleans.

Second line parade through the french quarter.

Secone line parade through the French Quarter in New Orleans.
Photo: Dean Villafuerte
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans- Second Line Parade through the French Quarter.
Photo: Dean Villafuerte
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans- Second Line Parade through the French Quarter.

The Lindy Hop Competitions & the Dancing

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -Lindy Hop Competitions in the streets of the French Quarter.
Photo: Dean Villafuerte
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -Lindy Hop Competitions in the streets of the French Quarter.
Photo: Dean Villafuerte
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -Lindy Hop Competitions in the streets of the French Quarter.
Photo: Dean Villafuerte

The dancing at night was in venues, but the Lindy Hop was still jumping!

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -dancing competitions at night.
Photo: d.tom

Solo Jazz Competition featuring my friend Nancy Hitzig (front and center).

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans - Solo Jazz Competition featuring Nancy Hitzig.
Photo: d.tom
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans - Lindy Hop Competition.
Photo: d.tom
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans - Lindy Hop Competition.
Photo: d.tom

Lindy Hop at Louis Armstrong Park.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans -Lindy Hop at Louis Armstrong Park.
Some Toronto dancer friends

Liz aka ‘The Vintage Inn Blog’ doing her own bit of Lindy Hop at the night dances.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans-Lindy Hop Dance
Photo: d.tom

In 2009 at my first ULHS I was able to dance in the WW2 museum in the city. Simply..Amazing.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans at the WW2 museum

The Fun-Ohhh the fun! I was lucky that every time I went to this event, many of my Swing Dancing friends were attending as well so it always turned into a good party. Here a collection of some of those images.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orelans -Canadian Lindy Hop Drinking Team

New Orleans is always a party and you just never know who might grab you to dance (like this guy with me).

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orelans -dancing in a bar.
New Orleans Fun bar sign.
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans-Canadian dancers at a restaurant.
At Yo Mama’s (after the pole was put behind the wall)

More pictures of all the Canadian Lindy Hoppers at the dance (My husband and I are in the background).

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orelans

We even were able to dance on a historic Paddlewheeler-The Creole Queen one year.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans-Paddleboat photo.
New Orleans-Large fish bowl drinks.
Drinking out of a Fishbowl is a must in NOLA

My husband always manages to get in all the photos with the pretty ladies haha 🙂

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans
Photo: d.tom

My turn with all the handsome men…man…and ummm…..

New Orleans
Never a dull moment in New Orleans

Love this photo. Taking a break at a super outdoor market on Frenchmen street with a dear friend.

Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans
Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown New Orleans
Big Canadian Photo of us all at ULHS

I’m going to end my post with a video from one of the late night dances on Bourbon Street in 2009. The band is the fantastic Loose Marbles at the bar Fritzels.

Thanks for the fun Amy Johnson and Team!

Question Time: Have you been to New Orleans? Or maybe you attended ULHS yourself and if so how was your experience?

FURTHER READING: Collection of Vintage Blog Posts on Swing Dance & The Big Band Era

Liz 🙂