Parade of Lost Souls: The Wild Side

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This year's theme is broad to cover the gamut of costumes and characters you may already be thinking about, as Parade night falls on Hallowe'en by chance this year! We invite you to 'take a look on the wild side'.....of yourself, your neighborhood, and of the world right now. At this, another turning point in history, what are the next steps for our unique primate species known as humankind? What if we shifted our perspective for one night and took a look from The Wild Side for some answers?

THIS IS YOUR EVENT! For you and by you! Let the reverie and the revelry begin here, at the Parade of Lost Souls! Conceptualized and produced by the beloved Public Dreams Society for over twenty-five years, the Parade lives on under the direction of its producer since 2014, The Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret.

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Schedule of Events

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6:30pm

OPENING, TIPS & TRICKS, and SPECIAL GUESTS

7:00pm

The 7pm Cheer starts off our RADIO DANCE PARTY

Brush up your Square Dance Moves & Terminology

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7:20pm

GAMES, STORYTELLING & CAMPFIRE SING ALONG

Get your guitars out! Each song will be led on the radio and we will post chords and lyrics here.

(Check back on October 15th)

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8:00pm 

DANCE BREAK

Be ready with your flashlights or other light makers for the Light Dance. 

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8:20pm 

CLOSING CEREMONY and CIRCLE

When &Where We CELEBRATE

This year we will not gather in one place, but we will gather in every place. We, the Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret Society, invite you all to celebrate within your 'bubble' of families, friends, and community. We invite you to a Program of Activities that you will do on your own front yard or balcony, outside, where we can all be together...from a distance. Look to your neighbours on the left. Look to your right! We may need to isolate, but we do not need to be isolated. Now is the perfect time to become a community. 

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Every minute of our Lost Souls programming will be led by radio broadcast and podcast, so you don't need to memorize the list of activities here. However, you will want to prepare your costume. See the list of things to prepare below, and gather chairs around a fire pit in your front yard (gas and propane fire pits are perfectly legal in Vancouver). And, if you happen to live in East Vancouver, a "surprise" may pass you by during the program. Check back on October 15th for instructional links for select activities below. 

Things to Make &Gather

• CANDLES & DECORATIONS for your outdoor/ covered space

• SHRINE to honour and remember loved ones or ideas

• CHAIRS for each person

• NOISEMAKERS

• PINATA that you may make ahead of time

• APPLES tied to STRINGS tied to BRANCHES for the APPLE EATING GAME

• BLINDFOLD

• TUNED GUITAR

• FLASHLIGHTS and other LIGHT MAKERS for a LIGHT DANCE led by the DJ

• FIND A STONE or an object from nature for the CLOSING CEREMONY

• HOMEMADE FLAG or any fabric tied to a stick

As All Hallows’ Eve crawls slowly from the autumn mist, preparations are well underway for the Parade of Lost Souls. The annual tradition, a decades-old East Vancouver  mainstay, is refuge and release, community and collective for thousands of lost souls. Participants of the Parade of Lost Souls gather together to redefine their ideas of community engagement; to reconnect with one another, and with ourselves, in a celebration of the cycles of life and death. The festival’s true popularity lies in its ability to inspire and accentuate the creativity of those who attend. The Parade is proof that we have not lost our link to the richness and depth of the ritual celebrations of our ancestors.

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The Parade of Lost Souls is organized by, and for, the community it serves. It is a parade of spectacle and 

performance, an inclusive celebration for the thousands of lost souls that join us every year. 

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It takes a tremendous amount of effort and funding to stage this event, and we are always on the lookout for energetic volunteers, artists and donors to join our team. The festival continues to be successful because of the creative  artists and performers who share their talents, our hard-working volunteers who keep us running, and the larger community who join us each year - dressed in wondrous and creative costumes!

Parade donations can be made online and volunteer and performance opportunities can be found in the “Get Involved” section below. We are eternally grateful for your generosity!

refuge &release

community &collective

for thousands of lost souls.

    Donate    

Parade of Lost Souls can only exist through the generous donations of the community who support it. It costs many tens of thousands to put on the parade each year: covering everything from permitting to insurance, security, artist fees, and built infrastructure. And, while this year may be a little different, we hope to continue putting on the Parade again and again for many years ahead.

Help Keep Parade Alive!

Please consider donating whatever you can afford. Your donations will help keep the parade alive this year and for years to come. 

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Enjoy this year's Parade. We tip ours masks to you!

    Get Involved    

Since its first rising, the Parade of Lost Souls has been a grass-roots festival planned, organized and performed by, and for, the community that it serves. It's creativity, success and contributions to the community are the result of the tireless efforts of an astounding, talented and hard-working group of souls. But, we can always use more help. Won't you be one of those souls?      

Call for Artists, Performers &Makers

Calling all artists and performers! We are extending an invitation to you, our community of artists, performers and friends, to find your own inspiration and join us in creating this festival of celebration and ceremony.

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Are you a performer, have a costume or a moving installation, or know someone who does? We would like to hear from you! Email us at the link below.

    Contact The Producers    

    Special Thanks to