Entry No. 31 — the New Orleans file — filed under: witchy
Bayou St. John / Magnolia Bridge (Cabrini Bridge)
This slow, brackish bayou was Marie Laveau's reputed ritual ground in the 1800s, and the iron Magnolia Bridge over it remains the gathering point for voodoo practice today. Every June 23, St. John's Eve, priestess Sallie Ann Glassman leads a public head-washing ceremony here, with participants in all white invoking Laveau's spirit at sunset over drumming and dance. The rest of the year it is simply a calm spot for kayaking, fishing, and watching herons along the oldest waterway in the city.
The story
Bayou St. John is the oldest natural waterway in New Orleans—a slow, brackish stream cutting through Mid-City that long predates the French Quarter grid. In the 1800s, Marie Laveau led her followers out to these swampy banks far beyond the city center to conduct rites out of sight of authorities. Today, the epicenter of that ritual history sits at Moss Street, pinned to an old wrought-iron footbridge known interchangeably as the Magnolia Bridge or Cabrini Bridge.
Every year on June 23—St. John’s Eve—the bridge shifts from an understated neighborhood crossing into an active altar. Voodoo Priestess Sallie Ann Glassman leads a public head-washing ceremony here as the sun drops. Participants show up dressed entirely in white, gathering along the water while drumming, chant, and dance invoke Laveau's spirit to wash heads and clear spiritual pathways.
The rest of the year, the bridge reverts to quiet obscurity. You can stand on its iron span at dusk, watch herons work the shallows, and trace the water down past historic homes. It remains one of the few places in the city where living Vodou traditions intersect directly with everyday public space.
What it's like
If you drop by on an ordinary weekday, you'll find a quiet bank along Moss Street where locals walk dogs, cast fishing lines, or launch kayaks. If you arrive on June 23 for St. John's Eve, expect dense heat, heavy drumming, and a thick crowd in head-to-toe white lining the banks right up to the water's edge as sunset approaches.
The move: Walk out onto the Magnolia Bridge at dusk and watch the bayou turn copper, or come on St. John's Eve to witness the white-clad head-washing ritual.
📍 Before you go The St. John's Eve ceremony is one night only (June 23); the bayou and bridge themselves are open year-round and free.
- 📍 Faubourg St. John / Mid-City
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Magnolia (Cabrini) Bridge, Moss St near Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119
Hours: Added 2026-06-22 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- The Singing Oak — After watching dusk hit the bayou, walk three tenths of a mile into City Park to hear massive wind chimes hidden in a live oak canopy.
- The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at NOMA — Cross Moss Street into City Park to trade the natural bayou banks for a curated eleven-acre outdoor collection of contemporary sculpture.
- Voodoo Spiritual Temple — Connect the outdoor ritual site on the bayou to an active indoor working temple run by Priestess Miriam down near Tremé.
Good to know
Is there a fee to cross the bridge or watch the ceremony?
No. The Magnolia Bridge and Bayou St. John are open public spaces, and the St. John's Eve ceremony is free.
When does the St. John's Eve ritual take place?
It happens once a year on June 23, beginning around sunset near the bridge along Moss Street.
What should I wear if I attend St. John's Eve?
Custom dictates wearing all white if you plan to observe or participate in the ceremony.
Can I paddle on the bayou?
Yes. Bayou St. John is a calm, non-motorized public waterway year-round, ideal for kayaking or paddleboarding.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: nola.com · wrldrels.org · neworleanshistorical.org · nolatourguy.com · midcitymessenger.com
last checked: 2026-06-22