Photos from the All Souls Procession in Tucson from Sunday, Nov. 3.

It's a special time of year in Tucson to honor deceased loved ones.

The annual celebrations of the All Souls Procession and Día de los Muertos make it so. 

Now in its 36th year, the All Souls Procession has its origins in the arts community of Tucson. The procession was created by performance artists, painters and sculptors as a way to honor the dead. 

“Back in the '90s, Susan Johnson, a well known local artist, and amazing sculptor, she started the All Souls Procession in memory of her father that passed away,” said Yvette Madison, social media director for All Souls Procession. “Over the years, it grew from 15 people to 20 people, to 25 to 50, and then just kept going.”

What originally started out as a small, artists' event has turned into a community celebration with an estimated 150,000 attendees yearly.

“The whole weekend there's an entire celebration,” Madison said.

Attendees can expect three days full of music, performances and community, with the procession and finale taking place the evening of Nov. 9, a Sunday. 

“Sunday is huge. You can expect to see people with floats and puppets and people walking around with their loved ones on poster boards and photos,” Madison said. “There's a lot to take in, a lot going on.”

Participants stand along the side of the urn at the start of the 35th Annual All Souls Procession in Tucson on Nov. 3, 2024. This year’s procession is on Nov. 9.

There will also be community workshops leading up to the All Souls event, including memorial lantern-making with Odaiko Sonora from 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 30, at Moto Sonora, 1015 S. Park Ave., and an Obon Dance & Chant Workshop from 10:45 a.m – 12:15 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at Rhythm Industry Performance Factory, 1013 S. Tyndall Ave. 

Madison, who has been a volunteer for All Souls for 16 years, described the procession as a powerful and moving experience.

“You can walk in this procession, or even just watch, and you can feel the love and celebration,” Madison said. “I think it's really beautiful to see how much work and dedication and everything that's gone into this procession for the last 36 years, and it still be a community-funded event. It's been very hard, but it's beautiful that it's been able to be here for so long.”

The timing of the event, according to the procession's website, was inspired by the many cultures that see autumn as the time when the veil between the worlds is thinnest, and the dead are closest to us.

Over the procession's 36 years, as it grew, some Tucsonans invented new traditions, and others brought their own cultural traditions with them.

Día de los Muertos is a strong influence in the procession. “It never was meant to take the place of Día de los Muertos,” Madison said. “But we are a huge Hispanic city.”

Though both celebrations honor the dead, Día de los Muertos, observed on Nov. 1 and 2 this year, is its own holiday with its own rich traditions.

Día de los Muertos is a time to pay respects and remember friends and family members who have died, and keep their memories alive. It is believed that during this time, deceased loved ones will visit the living. 

The celebration has multiple cultural roots, noted Mathew Sandoval, a teaching professor at Barrett, the Honors College, at Arizona State University.

“Some of those roots obviously come from Spanish Catholicism, in so far as Día de los Muertos is celebrated on November first and second, or around those traditional days, which are part of the Catholic liturgical calendar for All Saints Day,” Sandoval said.

“There's also indigenous cultural roots grounded in Mesoamerica and pre-Hispanic indigenous societies.”

Sandoval said there are also European pagan elements to Día de los Muertos, as well as Arab influences, and West African elements resulting from the African slave trade in Latin America.

One of the ways the dead are honored during Día de los Muertos is through the creation of ofrendas, or offerings, Sandoval noted.  

“Traditionally, they're made within the home space, but oftentimes also they’re made in cemeteries or public plazas. These are altars that are erected in which you place offerings for the dead, things that they loved, things that they would want on their trip back from the land of the dead into the land of the living."

Lupita Zepeda, owner of Yolia Botánica, 1307 W St. Mary's Road, a spiritual shop specializing in Latin American products for spiritual practices, said ofrendas create visual and tangible representations of what lost loved ones meant to the living.

Blair Feldman takes a look at the ofrenda, an altar set up to honor loved ones who have passed, displayed at the MSA Annex leading up to the All Souls Procession.

“Ofrendas are really personal, extremely personal,” she said. “If it means something to you, if it triggers the skip of a beat in your heartbeat, and it raises the chills on your back, then that's what needs to go on your ofrenda.”

There are also folk healing and indigenous-rooted approaches to ofrendas, Zepeda said, that revolve around honoring the elements.

“That's where we start tapping into the energies of water, air, earth and fire. We do also have the belief that there's a fifth element, which is the soul that connects all the other ones,” she said.

Each of those elements can be represented in some form on an ofrenda. 

“Rocks, crystals, branches, leaves, dry flowers, anything that is being nurtured, or has been nurtured by the energy of the earth, is a good representation of Earth in your altar,” Zepeda said.

“Candles, incense, anything transformative, Phoenix, butterflies, those are all great representations of fire energy.

"And water — seashells, things that evoke a lot of emotion or are thought-provoking. In Mexican tradition, we do a lot of tequila, a lot of mezcal, and besides that being part of the offering, it doubles as a representation of the water element, because it's a liquid.

"And then we have air. Air can be also incense and candles, but it can also be anything that is connected to communication. The element of air rules our thoughts and our ideas and the way we communicate. So sometimes just writing letters, writing notes, writing things to our loved ones and leaving them on our altar, notes, poems, love letters, anything like that is a wonderful addition.”

Honoring loved ones at the annual All Souls Procession in 2022. 

To prepare for Día de los Muertos, Zepeda will be offering a walk-in workshop Thursday, Oct. 30 and Friday, Oct. 31, where customers can create their own herbal mix with resin from the sacred copal tree to use in offerings.

Hundreds of people marched during the 35th Annual All Souls Procession in 2024 despite the rain.

“I'll just have a couple of tables set up with all the materials. We'll have printouts for people to read. It'll be very self led, very chill. It's not a complicated process. Everything's going to be laid out for them, and they'll just be able to come in during normal store hours from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., and build their own little resin jar,” Zepeda said. 

If you’re looking for other ways to connect with those who have passed, and honor your loved ones, you’ll find plenty of community events to celebrate both All Souls and Día de los Muertos.

ABOVE: Monique Quihuis gets her face painted by Shannon Donavant before the start of the annual All Souls Procession in 2022. RIGHT: Hundreds of people marched during the 35th Annual All Souls Procession in 2024 despite the rain.

All Souls Community Altar Dedication Ceremony

Altar Dedication Ceremony with Ruben Urrea Moreno, Danza Azteca Coatilque and Homicide Survivors Inc.

When: 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4

Where: MSA Annex, 267 Avenida Del Convento 

Cost: Free

Dance of the Dead — Flow for the Soul

Kick off your All Souls celebrations with this family-friendly community event featuring LED flow, dancing, fire performance, and DJ tunes by “Tech house troublemakers,” Max Low, and MNTRA.

When: 6-11:55 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7

Where: MSA Annex, 267 Avenida Del Convento 

Cost:$30

Procession of Little Angels

Bring the whole family for a free day of art activities, music, performance and a pint-sized sunset procession for small children and families. The day will be filled with special programming by Stories That Soar, Tucson Girls Chorus and Las Aguilitas de Davis Elementary, including face paint artisans, DIY stations and family altars.

When: 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8

Where: Literacy Connects Campus, 200 E. Yavapai Road

Cost: Free

Dance of the Dead

Enjoy a grounding evening of music and ceremony. Sound Journey with Kati Astraeir and John Vorus, Cacao Ceremony with Readings of Luz, and curated vendors by Visionayr House Market and Solar Culture Gallery.

When: 5-11:55 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8

Where: MSA Annex, 267 Avenida Del Convento 

Cost:$30

All Souls Procession and Finale Ceremony

The All Souls procession will end at the MSA Annex with a grand finale featuring Nexus Visions, Snow Raven, Odaiko Sonora, Flam Chen, Circus Sanctuary and Community Spirit Groups 

When: 4 p.m., assemble; 6 p.m., procession starts, Sunday, Nov. 9

Where: Procession begins at Speedway and Grande Avenue, and the finale ceremony takes place at the MSA Annex, 267 Avenida Del Convento 

Jennifer Davila holds her homemade ofrenda, filled with photos of loved ones who have died, before the start of the 34th Annual All Souls Procession in the Barrio Hollywood neighborhood on Nov. 5, 2023.

Cost: Free

Día de los Muertos: A Celebration of Life - Tucson Symphony Orchestra

Celebrate the rich musical traditions of Día de los Muertos in this collaboration between the Tucson Symphony Orchestra and the Tucson International Mariachi Conference. 

When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1

Where: Linda Ronstadt Music Hall, 260 S Church Ave.

Cost: Tickets from $24.80 – $81.10.

Día de los Muertos Celebración - Tucson Botanical Gardens

Spend the afternoon celebrating Día de los Muertos in Tucson Botanical Gardens’ “Nuestro Jardín,” with beautiful floral displays, an ofrenda to honor the lives of family and friends who have passed, mariachi and puppet performances, and festive educational programming for the whole family.

When: 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 2

Where: Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way

Cost: Adults (18-61) $19; children (4-12) $10; students (13-17), $15; seniors (62+) $15

Día de los Muertos Ofrendas - Tucson Presidio Museum

The Presidio Museum will host ofrendas created by the community. Presidio staff, board members and volunteers will also create public ofrendas to honor veterans, friends and family of the Tucson Presidio Trust, and pets. Community ofrendas will include: Hearts That Purr, Sky Island Alliance, City High, Los Descendientes, Thrift Store Ancestors, Old Souls, and Cholla Afterlife.

When: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. daily through Nov. 9

Where: Presidio San Agustín del Tucsón Museum, 196 N Court Ave.

Cost: Adults (13+) $9; children (6-13) $6; seniors (65+); military, Pima County residents: $3 off per person.

Día de los Muertos Celebration at Park Place

Enjoy live art demonstrations by local painters, mariachi music, calavera face painting, and Folklórico dancers who bring the spirit of Día de los Muertos to life. You’ll also find an ofrenda filled with colorful florals, intricate decorations, and sculptures.

When: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8  

Where: Park Place Mall, 5870 E Broadway

Cost: Free to attend

Chiles, Chocolate & Day of the Dead Festival - Tohono Chul

Treat yourself to a delectable fusion of flavors and traditions with dozens of food vendors, local craftspeople, and entertainers. Immerse yourself in the artistry of personal ofrendas crafted by local artists and students, paying homage to the enduring borderland traditions of Día de los Muertos. You can even leave personal recuerdos (remembrances) for lost loved ones at the community altar. Kids can enjoy free craft activities and complimentary face painting for Día de los Muertos.

When: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31 and  Saturday, Nov. 1

Where: Tohono Chul, 7366 N. Paseo Del Norte

Cost: General admission, $25; Tohono Chul members, $10; children (4-12), $7; children under 4 get in free

"Ofrendas: Life Beyond Death,” by Arizona Folklórico Dance Studio 

Experience the vibrant traditions and cultural origins of Día de los Muertos in a stylized folk dance production, brought to you by the dancers of Arizona Folklórico Dance Studio.

When: Green Valley, 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24; Tucson, 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1

Where: Green Valley Recreation West Center Auditorium, 1111 S GVR Dr., and Pima Community College Center for the Arts, 2202 W Anklam Road.

Cost: $22 per seat 

 

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