Parade of Lost Souls

​

Turn your minds to the sea, smell the salt, feel the breeze. The Parade of Lost Souls 2019 is Marine Themed. “S.O.S. Save our Souls” echoes through the streets. Dive in. Hold your breath. Float and glide on the waves. The water is on our minds and in our bodies and we will both celebrate and grieve it together in the Parade of Lost Souls. Because, If we are lost, then we are lost together. (Cuddy/Keelor)

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.

​

When &Where We March

​

Returning, as in tradition on the last Saturday in October, the Parade of Lost Souls will take place on November 2, 2019. The parade route has been revealed below. Keep checking into our website and social media feeds for updates and other exciting surprises along the way!

​

PROCESSIONS START @ Britannia Library

​

Parade of Little Souls

Ho! ho! ho! Merry Hallowe'en! May the little souls in our life light up the night and Save Our Souls! Parade of Little Souls is for the children who want to join in on the colourful and dazzling festivities! Meet at the Britannia Library. Procession starts at 7pm.

​

Lost Souls After-Party

You’ve resurrected your identities, faced your fears, saved your souls, and now it’s time to shake those bones and rejoice! Following the Parade of Lost Souls, the party continues through the night at the LOST SOULS AFTER-PARTY, this year again at The Wise Hall. Doors at 9pm, with live music, visuals and performances. Proudly presented by Live at the WISE and the Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret, this year we SAVE OUR SOULS. 

​

Workshops

Join in the revelry early and prepare yourself for the parade by participating in one of our many artist-led community workshops in dance, music, art and costuming. Find workshop descriptions, times, locations and volunteer opportunities below. 

As All Hallows’ Eve crawls slowly from the autumn mist, preparations are well underway for the Parade of Lost Souls Festival. 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 Festival 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 of Lost Souls is proof that we have not lost our link to the richness and depth of the ritual celebrations of our ancestors.

​

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 to meander along its route. 

​

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, or at the event, 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.

    Lost Souls After-Party    

#LostSoulsAfterParty

Following the Parade, all of the lost souls keep the party going at the

Lost Souls After-Party, this year Live at the WISE. 

DJ Sweet Anomaly
Tarran the Tailor

and others...

    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, performers and makers! 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. Are you a maker, a sculpter, an artist or a performer? Are you interested in building an installation, helping to create the parade environments, or performing that one thing you've always been aching to do? We are on the lookout for more performers, musicians, fire dancers, stilt walkers, puppetteers, clowns, acrobats, magicians, voice performers, contortionists, jugglers, and thriller dancing zombies. If performance isn't your thing, we're also looking for artists, costume designers, graphic designers, sculpters, makers, and make-up artists. If you're creative, and interested in the Parade, we want to hear from you! Let us know how you'd like to contribute.

Call for Volunteers

A festival, the size of the Parade of Lost Souls, requires a huge team of volunteers who are willing to do just about anything to help pull off the event. Volunteering with the production team or with the site crew will give you a behind-the-scenes look at how it all works and what it takes to pull of this festival. You'll also be providing an invaluable helping hand. We're looking for souls to help with a wide range of tasks, from helping to construct props and installations, place festival infrastructure on-site, to collecting donations at the parade, and cleaning up at the end of the night. This festival would not be what it is without the generous help of volunteers. If you're available and interested in lending a hand, we want to hear from you! Let us know how you'd like to contribute to the Parade of Lost Souls, and we'll try to match you with our current needs.

​

Volunteers Needed

​

Set Decoration, Makers/ Builders, Hospitality, Costume Design, Installation, Parade Ambassadors, Information Booth, Ushers, Stage Assistants, Clean-up.

​

Paid Crew Needed

​

Installation, Set Decoration, Striking, Clean-up, Buskers.

    Contact The Producers    

    Special Thanks to