Light installation in remembrance of Jan. 1 tragedy

By Gabrielle Cromwell
Contributing Writer

Nearly a year after the tragic incident on Bourbon Street on Jan. 1, 2025, local restaurateurs commissioned a visual art light installation – “Second Line in the Sky,” unveiled on Dec. 1, 2025, as a memorial to remember the lives that were lost and those who were injured on New Year’s Day 2025.

Katy Casbarian of the family-owned Arnaud’s Restaurant teamed up with Jennie West and Jason Richards of Studio West to work with local artists as sponsors and collaborators on the project. The temporary lighting installation illuminates the 100-300 blocks of Bourbon Street, as a tribute and a symbol of New Orleans’ strength and resilience, they said.

“I truly hope we have transformed the first three blocks of Bourbon Street into a seasonal space of reflection, remembrance and renewal. I hope that you will bring your friends and family to see this installation and think of the family and victims during this season,” Casbarian said at the unveiling event to members of the community who came out to pay tribute to victims.

The January 1 attack remains one of the most devastating events in recent New Orleans history, disrupting a holiday traditionally defined by celebration, reunions and the hope of a new year. At around 3 a.m. on Jan. 1, Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a pickup truck into dense crowds of New Year’s Day celebrators. The planned attack was quickly deemed an act of terror by local and then federal authorities. In total, 136 victims were injured, with several sustaining severe or life-threatening trauma. Two businesses were left heavily damaged.

The attack shocked a city known for its festive spirit and resilience, Casbarian told onlookers, saying that the installation was an effort to re-usher this year’s festivities back with hope, while mourning those who were lost. Bourbon Street suddenly became a place of tragedy instead of a party, she recalled. In the weeks that followed, vigils filled Jackson Square, faith leaders gathered in the French Quarter and residents marched in solidarity, refusing to let the incident fracture the city’s identity.

City officials released multiple statements affirming their commitment to public safety reforms, mental health support for survivors and long-term recovery efforts as part of keeping visitors over the holidays safe. But many residents, business owners, artists, musicians and families expressed a desire for something more: a communal space for healing that honored both the victims and the culture that defines New Orleans. That desire became the spark for what would eventually become “Second Line in the Sky.”

Casbarian, who co-owns and runs Arnaud’s Restaurant with her family and is a lifelong French Quarter resident, said she felt a responsibility to transform the grief of Jan. 1 into collective remembrance.

“This project is a testament to what happens when our residents, when our business community, when our cultural bearers, when our creative leaders and when business owners come together with a shared purpose,” Casbarian said.

Working closely with New Orleans-based design firm Studio West, Casbarian said she helped assemble a team of local artists including Babette Beaulieu, Margaret Crosby and Jan Gilbert who were commissioned to design prayer flags included in the installation. The result is an arrangement of 822 illuminated prayer flags, photos of those remembered and lighted trumpets, umbrellas and handkerchiefs, all inspired by the city’s second line traditions. These artistic choices serve as a testament to New Orleans’ ability to blend mourning with celebration, she said.

Each prayer flag includes photographs by Judy Cooper and Jamell Tate, survivor messages and notes from families. Rendered in shades of red, pink and orange, the flags are meant to radiate warmth and unity. Many visitors have described walking beneath them as stepping into a “floating second line.”

The installation’s unveiling drew city and state officials, survivors and families of victims, who gathered at Arnaud’s Restaurant despite the cold rain. Residents will be able to see the installation up across the holidays past the new year until Jan. 18, 2026, at the intersection of Bourbon and Bienville streets. The installation’s presence, officials said, proved a unified commitment to remembering the event.

“This evening is a symbol of our promise to each of you and to those that lost their lives, that their stories would not be forgotten and that they will remain a part of the fabric of this city. And that fabric is one that makes this city even stronger today,” Gov. Jeff Landry said.

New Orleans Mayor-elect Helena Moreno supported that message, emphasizing that the city must continue to evolve while staying grounded in compassion and community care.

By combining cultural symbolism, artistic expression and community collaboration, “Second Line in the Sky” stands as a living idea of New Orleans’ values. As the city approaches the anniversary of the Jan. 1 attack, the installation invites residents and visitors alike to reflect on what was lost, and what continues to carry the city forward.

“We must move forward as a much safer city and also put a signal out that while this was an event that was meant to divide us and tear us apart and be fearful, to continue to demonstrate the complete opposite, that this actually brings us together and has made us stronger,” Moreno said.

This article originally published in the December 8, 2025 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.