When and where is it?
The Portland All Souls River Procession is in early November, typically on the Saturday falling nearest to All Souls Day. The 4th annual procession will be 6pm Saturday, November 2nd, 2024.
The procession is held by the Willamette River and passes under the St Johns Bridge in North Portland, Oregon. Most of the procession’s route is along paved paths at the west end of Cathedral Park, but the pre-procession orientation, restrooms, and after party are located directly next to the Cathedral Park boat ramp parking lot at Green Anchors, 8940 N Bradford Street.
Event Schedule
4:30 pm: Pre-procession orientation
Procession participants gather at the Green Anchors community pavilion at 8940 N Bradford St for a general welcome, opening ceremony, and outline of the procession’s logistics. Names of the dead can be added to the Book of Souls during this time, as well as paper messages to the dead placed in the Reliquary.
5:30 pm: Pre-procession line-up
Procession participants gather in the Cathedral Park boat ramp parking lot outside the Green Anchors event gate. The procession will be assembled in order, with several themed groups at the beginning, and a general “Our Beloved Dead” group at the rear that is open to all to join or follow along with.
6 pm: The Procession
Walk with us through Cathedral Park to the river’s edge and site of the River Ritual, accompanied by illuminated lanterns and giant puppets of skeleton people and celestial beings. The procession follows a “there and back” route comprised of just under a ½ mile of paved paths and sidewalks. There is also an optional portion of the route closest to the river that is composed of grass and/or sand. Audience members are welcome to find a spot from where they can watch the procession go by, and/or to follow the procession along to the river.
6:30 pm: The River Ritual
Simultaneously an elaborate performance of ritual theater and an offering to the dead and to the river. As grief and beauty come fully together, the names of the dead will be read aloud, and the messages to the dead will be burned over the river. Then we let our tears flow as we stand together in shared sadness and love, with the sounds of the lapping river waters and gentle music wrapping around us.
7 pm: The Return
Once the names are read, the messages burned, and the tears shed, a different music begins. One that starts slow, but builds into a rhythm that reminds us of life. A band assembles and takes their place on the “stage” of the beach. This band then marches, leading the entire procession all the way back to the beginning of the route.
Post-processional Revelry at Green Anchors,
8940 N Bradford St:
Following the procession through Cathedral Park, both participants and audience members are invited to the Green Anchors community pavilion for musical revelry lasting into the wee hours. Bring a night picnic or enjoy delicious soup made by our soup crew. There will also be a community Altar of Our Beloved Dead at the pavilion where you are invited to set photos or mementos (to be taken home afterwards).
What to Bring:
- A ceremonial costume and/or decorative mask. Suggested themes: Light and dark, threshold, ancestors, seed, autumn, nature, connection to place.
- A lantern (Strongly recommended to navigate through the dark night)
- Messages for the dead written on paper, to be collected by the Reliquary Attendants during line-up and the first half of the procession, to be burned at the river’s edge during the River Ritual.
- Tokens to honor and remember those who have recently passed on, to wear or carry with you.
- Or a more elaborate wagon “float” made in honor of your beloved dead, decorated as a portable memorial altar with flowers, lights, photos, and the things that they love.
- Offerings for the river whose healing powers we will be calling upon this night. (Biodegradable offerings please. If plant-based, no invasive species.)
- A blanket or something that is comfortable for you to sit on by the river.
- A picture or symbolic item to place on the community pavilion’s altar of our beloved dead of any loved one (human or non-human) you wish to honor during the event, (and then to take back home with you afterwards).
- Rattles, tambourines and drums.
- If the forecast calls for rain, we recommend you bring a large umbrella embellished for the procession.
Procession Order & Themed Groups
The procession consists of several themed groups and bands, organized in the following order:
1. The Willow Dancers / Procession Band #1
Dressed in white and carrying paper lanterns made from branches, the Willow Dancers embody the spirit of the willow trees that grow along our river banks, and they will guide our procession to the river. This year Bulla! , leaders of community dances including Cuban, World Folk, and Sacred will head the Willow Dancers, and they invite community members who would like to join the dance to bring a lantern and join them at the head of the procession.
2. The Soul Tenders
Those who carry the paper mache reliquary containing messages to the dead, the attendants who collect the messages, plus the Ritual Leader and the Tender of the Book of Souls.
3. Our Glorious Bones
AKA “Bone Krewe”. Consists of giant skull masks on poles, skeleton puppets, and participants in skull masks. This group remembers the recently departed dead, and any community members who are drawn to join them are invited to don a skull or skeleton-themed attire and march along.
4. Procession of the Species
In honor of the other-then-human lives lost, especially due to environmental degradation. Consists of plant and animal puppets, costumes and masks, and led by our four Guardians of the Elements, Salmon (water), Coyote (fire), Mushroom (earth) and Owl (air). Any community members who are interested are invited to join along with costumes, puppets or effigies that represent animals (including pets!), plants, or entire ecosystems. Inspired by the the Earth and Spirit Council‘s Procession of the Species that was held in downtown Portland from 1999-2002.
5. Procession Band #2
This year we are excited to announce that Bloco Alegria will be one of our procession bands!
6. The Celestials
Led by Grandmother Moon, this group consists of star lanterns and illuminated soul (or angel) puppets to represent the ancestors. Any community members who feel drawn to honor and invite in their ancestors to be a part of this processional group are invited to join in.
7. Our Beloved Dead
This group consists of everyone else who wants to join the procession. Participants are encouraged to carry lanterns, or even to decorate and bring “float wagons” decorated with lights and flowers and images of their beloved dead.
8. The River Route (Unconfirmed)
We are tentatively planning a parallel water-based procession to meet up with the land-based procession for the River Ritual at the river’s edge below the St Johns Bridge. This group is open to non-motorized watercraft and experienced watercraft operators only. More information to be posted here once this group has been confirmed.