Tonight was the 20th anniversary of the All Souls Procession, an event Tucson should really be proud of; it was packed, of course, probably more so because of Calexico playing at the Rialto at the end. I wish I’d spent some time making a puppet and walking in the procession, or at that I at least had some face paint on: it’s fun to be disguised, after all. If my back wasn’t bothering me, I would’ve stayed out late for the final inferno and great music.
Thank you to all particpants in the parade; I really appreciated seeing such a genuine expressions of creativity and heart-felt sentiment from everyone there.
Here are some shots before the parade got started, in the staging area at University/4th Ave. as folks were getting ready: that bell skull-guy is holding, by the way, really gets the mood going:
I briefly talked to the guy above on the bicycle; he said he thought he was crazy, and, I had to agree with him. But what a great effort!
Of course, the fiddler caught my eye:
There were lots of great puppets, but I only got photos of a few of them:
Once the parade started, both the now-defunct Tucson Citizen walked by, as did the Public Library: the parade is, after all, largely about what we’ve lost, or are actively losing:
Finally, I considered myself lucky to get at least a partial shot of the parade’s “totem” this year, the moth: it wasn’t an easy shot in the dark, and it was all by itself flying over the parade:
Hello Cleare; Is this a religious parade and if not what is it about? You said it was an All Souls Day Parade, but All Souls Day is on the 2nd. of Nov. That is the day that the Christian Church’s in Canada celebrates it. Somehow I don’t think that the parade in Tucson had anything to do with the souls in purgatory. , which is what All Souls Day is supposed be about . It is a day when the people on Earth pray for the souls in Purgatory and the Parish Preist goes to the Cemetry and prays over the graves of the people that are burried there..
Denis, how lovely to hear from you. I know what All Soul’s Day is, but that’s not the same as the All Souls Parade. It’s not the All Soul’s Day Parade. The name of the parade reflects some of the regional traditions related to All Souls Day ( Day of the Dead down here near the US–Mexican border), but the parade is not affiliated with any religious holiday or tradition; it’s a very ecumenical parade, and it’s meant to be an event anyone can participate in to celebrate the lives of our loved ones who’ve moved on. It’s a very special event. And very unique to Tucson.
I hope you’re well; thanks so much for your comments. 🙂