An estimated 150,000 people gathered in the streets on 蜜柚直播鈥檚 west side in 2021 to participate in the collective mourning, honoring and remembering of lost loved ones as part of the annual .
As the first in-person procession to take place since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which at that point in time had killed more than 700,000 Americans, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the experience was deeper for many participants, said artistic director Nadia Hagen.
鈥淚t was more relevant,鈥 Hagen said. 鈥淒eath was more present in people鈥檚 space in a really personal way. It was not this conceptual exercise.鈥
Messages to loved ones burn in the urn at then end of the 32nd Annual All Souls Procession in 蜜柚直播.
Hagen said , the collective that puts on the procession, is expecting even higher attendance at this year鈥檚 event, set to take place this Sunday, Nov. 6.
Whether you are from the 蜜柚直播 area, or traveling from afar, here is what you can expect.
The route
As has been the case for the last several years, the All Souls Procession will take place west of Interstate 10, in the Barrio Hollywood and Menlo Park neighborhoods.
Folks will start gathering at about 4 p.m. just south of . At about 6 p.m., the procession will begin its journey south, snaking its way down North Grande and North Bonita avenues, along the Santa Cruz river, until finding its way to the , south of West Congress.
The All Souls Procession guide on the recommends bringing comfortable shoes, water and a flashlight. The trek is about two miles long, so if you are not used to walking, maybe find a good parking spot toward the end of the route, to catch the final ceremony.
The Mercado District, and more specifically, the lots near the MSA Annex, , will serve as the staging area for the finale 鈥 a mix of theatrical and dance performances, live music and elaborate visuals culminating in the burning of a massive urn hoisted high into the sky.
鈥淚 love this route,鈥 Hagen said. 鈥淚 think there is something so special about walking through the barrios. The barrios are the heart of the city. Having that connection to the river, the path that goes along the river and ends at the foot of the mountain that is our namesake. That really resonates.鈥
People crowd St. Marys Road pre-pandemic at the 2019 30th All Souls Procession in 蜜柚直播.
The theme
For this year鈥檚 theme, A Sandstorm is a Seedstorm, Hagen was inspired by none other than biologist and natural historian David Attenborough, who filmed an episode of his 2022 BBC documentary series .
鈥淭here was something he said in that episode about within every haboob, there is not just dust, but millions of seeds,鈥 Hagen said.
That one line got Hagen and her team talking about the bigger patterns in life. How things that are destructive, might also be necessary parts of a cycle that in turn create new life, according to the All Souls website.
The website continues: 鈥淏eyond resilience is an ability to not just 鈥榮pring back鈥 but spring forward.鈥
Benjamin Albert Yanez, left, hugs his girlfriend, Amy Vance during the finale of the 30th All Souls Procession in 2019.
The concerts
While the procession is free to attend, many of the behind-the-scenes aspects that go into putting on such a large-scale event do cost money.
Hagen estimates that, for this year alone, $11,000 will go toward police and another $11,000 will go toward traffic control. Then there are things like trash collection and port-a-potty rentals.
The procession has historically relied on donations, but donations have been down in recent years, Hagen said. Organizers are hoping that several fundraising concerts, dubbed the Dance of the Dead series, will help offset some of the costs.
The series consists of two concerts and an afterparty, all held in the festival area of the MSA Annex. Concert One will take place Friday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. and will be headlined by , the marching band with a funk rock attitude from Portland, Oregon. The group has been through 蜜柚直播 several times and always brings the party. Tickets are $20 in advance through the and $25 at the door.
Concert Two, at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5, will include performances from First Nations vocalist and multi-instrumentalist world musician, , who has also been tapped as the composer for the finale ceremony. Tickets for this concert are also $20 in advance through the and $25 at the door.
The afterparty happens directly following the procession finale and will feature sets from local Latin-fusion supergroup and the . Tickets are $5 in advance on the and $10 at the door.
Evangelina Dominguez, a participant in the 2021 All Souls Procession, says the butterflies represent the family and friends who have passed.
The future
The procession has taken on seven new directors this year to help steer the event into the future, including a new volunteer coordinator, a new usher director and a new director for the , a separate walk for children that will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 5 at Armory Park, , downtown.
鈥淎lmost all of the new directors are women,鈥 Hagen said. 鈥淎ll of them are in their early 30s. It is a generational shift, which is huge.鈥
Hagen said Many Mouths One Stomach started putting out feelers for new directors during the pandemic.
鈥淚t is our intention for the event to have a legacy,鈥 Hagen said. 鈥淭he way to have legacy is to mentor. To hand off the responsibility and the information; the wisdom that we gain in doing this over the years so the next generation can be empowered to take that on. Otherwise, there is no legacy or future.鈥
Hagen said after 32 years, the annual event continues to grow.
鈥淲hen it was first starting, it was like a baby and couldn鈥檛 walk,鈥 Hagen said. 鈥淚t was a wild, unruly teenager for a while.
鈥淣ow, we are a young adult. We鈥檝e got some things figured out. We probably still need to call home and ask for money every now and again, but we know where our limbs are, how our hands work, what we like. We鈥檝e learned some things.鈥