What to know ahead of this weekend’s 30th Procession of the Species
The 30th Procession of the Species this weekend will attract thousands to downtown Olympia to watch the parade of colorful flora and fauna, take in local art and music and celebrate the environment.
With a new section of the Procession honoring estuary restoration, and Olympia’s bi-annual Arts Walk happening alongside, here’s what to know before heading downtown this weekend.
First, the Luminary Procession
The Luminary Procession will take place at 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 25. The smaller, lighted event takes place on the first night of Arts Walk and honors the element of spirit. Folks can expect to see handmade paper luminaries and other lights, dancing, music and more.
The luminary bearers will assemble at Washington Street and Fourth Avenue at 8 p.m. At 8:30 pm, the Procession will head south on Washington two blocks (adjacent Sylvester Park), turn west (right) onto Seventh Avenue, then north (right) onto Capitol Way for two blocks, then turn west (left) on Fifth Avenue to Columbia Street where the group turns south (left) to circle the block and end at Sylvester Park.
Participants can access the Olympia Armory art studio starting at 4:30 p.m. to load up studio luminaries, tables, signage and banners.
Saturday’s big Procession
Procession of the Species will take place at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 26. Because there are many more participants, the route is larger. The Procession begins at Jefferson Street and Legion Way and winds its way through downtown, circling Sylvester Park and ending at Heritage Park Fountain, where there will be a closing celebration.
Participants will assemble at 3:30 p.m. to register and get their groups organized. Windsocks and spangles are handed out.
Info for participants and spectators
There are three rules to participating in the procession, according to the event website.
- No written words or symbols can be included in art, music or dance.
- No live animals can be used, with the exception of service animals.
- No motorized vehicles are allowed. Electric wheelchairs are an exception.
Spectators are welcome to join in with the Procession at any point along the route.
To participate, you can pick up registration forms at the Procession Community Art Studio at the Olympia Armory Creative Campus, located at 515 Eastside St. SE. You can also register online. There is no fee to participate, however nonperishable food donations to the Thurston County Food Bank are requested.
Traffic and parking will be very congested in downtown Olympia in the hours surrounding the Procession. Carpooling and using public transportation are encouraged.
Honey buckets will be provided at the intersection of Legion Way and Jefferson Street and at Sylvester Park. Restrooms are also located at Heritage Park at the end of the Procession.
Volunteers will meet on Sunday, April 27 to help clean up after the Procession. Folks will meet at the Bread Peddler on Capitol Way for coffee at 9 a.m. before cleaning up the streets along the event route. Participants should bring a large plastic bag and gloves to wear.
More information about this year’s Procession events can be found on the event website.
This story was originally published April 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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