All Souls Procession

The All Souls Procession will wend through new grounds this year, but the intent has not changed one bit:

It is still a homegrown, sacred event where Tucsonans gather to grieve, honor and celebrate those who have passed.

The procession is uniquely Tucson and has become a sort of annual gathering that attracts people from around the country. Participants often wear costumes, paint their faces, and carry pictures of those they have loved and lost. The grand finale is an explosion of music and dance that continues the sense of reverence with which the procession started.

Run entirely by volunteers and funded by grants and donations from individuals and small local businesses, the 27-year-old All Souls Procession has become a massive event: About 25 participated in the first one in 1990; as many as 170,000 walked or watched last year’s event.

Here are some tips to help along the way.