03/29/2025
TODAY IN DETROIT HISTORY – March 23rd, 1710, Long before Detroit had cars, skyscrapers, or a sports curse to complain about, it had the Nain Rouge—a mysterious, malevolent figure of folklore said to haunt the city. And on this day in 1710, the people of Detroit marched from Ste. Anne’s Catholic Church to the river, hoping to rid themselves of the red imp once and for all.
The legend dates back to Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, Detroit’s founder, who, upon encountering the Nain Rouge near Fort Pontchartrain du Detroit, smacked it with his cane and shouted, “Be gone, you red imp!”. That turned out to be a very bad idea, as the creature reportedly cursed Cadillac and the city forever.
While the first recorded stories of the Nain Rouge weren’t written down until 1883 by Marie Caroline Watson Hamlin, Detroiters have kept the legend alive. Every year, the city comes together to banish the Nain Rouge at the Marche du Nain Rouge, marching down the Cass Corridor in a riot of costumes, music, and mischief to send the creature back into hiding—for at least another year.
Want to keep the Nain Rouge away? Grab your own Nain Rouge sticker from our boutique and help protect Detroit from the curse!
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