Celebrate and Mourn Lost Loved Ones at All Souls Procession
The special Tucson event, the All Souls Procession, will be held this year on November 7, including the Processional along Tucson’s Westside. assembling on Grande Avenue at 6 p.m. Plenty of altars, performers, installation art and creatives of all kinds collaborate for almost half the year to prepare their offerings for this amazing event. The All Souls Procession, and now the entire All Souls Weekend, is a celebration and mourning of the lives of our loved ones and ancestors.
For more information, visit AllSoulsProcession.org.
The procession will culminate in the “Restoration of Care” ceremony and burning of the urn near MSA Annex. The 32nd All Souls Procession and Ceremony will also be available to view via livestream from 6 to 9 p.m.
The All Souls Procession is perhaps one of the most important, inclusive and authentic public ceremonies in North America today. The procession had its beginnings in Tucson in 1990 with a ceremonial performance piece created by local artist Susan Johnson. Johnson was grieving the passing of her father, and as an artist, she found solace in a creative, celebratory approach to memorializing him. Says Johnson, “From the beginning, it was different people’s ethnic groups, different cultures, but also it was all these different art forms put together.”
After that first year, many artists were inspired to continue, growing the Procession into its modern incarnation. Today, over 150,000 participants gather on the streets of downtown Tucson for a two-mile, human-powered procession that ends in the ceremonial burning of a large urn filled with the hopes, offerings and wishes of the public for those who have passed.
The All Saints Procession has issued guidelines for the safety of all who participate in the procession. They encourage those who can be vaccinated before attending to do so, and the wearing of masks while close to other attendees. They also ask that everyone be respectful of others and be gracious to the neighborhoods throughout the procession.
The weekend will start with the Luz De Vida II Concert on November 6, from 7 to 10 p.m. Luz de Vida is a collaboration between MMOS, Homicide Survivors Inc. and JCFS to bring light and life for families impacted by Homicide.
After the procession, from 9:30 to 11 p.m., at the Casa De Los Muertos after party, DJs will be spinning from their “We Love House” Float at the MSA Annex, 267 Avenida Del Convento.
Many Mouths One Stomach, producer of the All Souls Procession, is a nonprofit organization and can accept tax-deductible donations from individuals, families, businesses and organizations. See options for donating at AllSoulsProcession.org/donate.
For more information, visit AllSoulsProcession.org.
