If it’s April in the Olympia area, it must be Procession. Here’s what to know

The last weekend of April is a big one in downtown Olympia. Besides spring Arts Walk, the weekend draws crowds with not one but two celebrations in motion.

On Saturday, a merry band of animals, plants and planets will be rolling, strolling and dancing through the streets. The occasion is the Procession of the Species, Olympia’s DIY celebration of the natural world.

Among the fauna and flora making their debut this year will be a life-size elephant, a spinning whale, an enormous snail and a 10-foot-high lotus bloom whose petals will open and close.

And on Friday, the lights come out (weather permitting) for the Illuminated Procession, which will be bigger than ever, procession organizer Eli Sterling predicts.

“We are going to see a really stunning Luminary Procession,” Sterling said. “We’ll probably have between 600 and 700 people participating. There are a lot more luminaries being made this year, and we have about 50 luminaries for people to carry if they haven’t made one of their own.”

He likened the illuminated event, whose route will include Capitol Way for the first time, to a candle in a window — an inspiration in a time of turmoil and war.

The Procession of the Species, too, is as much about inspiration as it is about celebration, said Sterling, who leads Earthbound Productions, the nonprofit behind the processions.

“Our theme this year is lengthening the horizons of our hearts,” he said. “With all that is going on in the world, we have made ourselves smaller and smaller. … There are moments when we have to say that we are going to extend our horizons.”

The lotus, created by environmental artist Carrie Ziegler in collaboration with True Self Yoga, carries similar symbolism.

About 50 yogis, wearing lotus headdresses, will walk with the float, inspired by the saying “No mud, no lotus.”

“We don’t turn away from pain or suffering,” said Christina Lagdameo, who owns the studio on Olympia’s west side. “We meet it together. … In that shared space, something shifts.”

Lagdameo and Ziegler and their families will be taking turns making the lotus bloom. “It’s human-powered from the inside,” Ziegler said.

Preparation for the Procession of the Species got off to a slow start this year, Sterling said, due to the complications of securing space for the community art studio that pops up in the months before each procession.

Suitable space for smaller projects, including luminaries, batiks and papier-mâché pieces, wasn’t available till mid-March. “The search for space was a huge effort,” Sterling said, adding that he’s grateful for the willingness of Sandy Desner and Ballet Northwest’s Ken and Josie Johnson, who offered short-term leases.

And it was only a week ago that the floats and large puppets were moved out of storage to the Plum Street YMCA, which provided short-term space so such favorites as the giraffe, the rhino, the zebra and the smiling sun can make their annual appearance. “The Y came to our rescue,” Sterling said.

“All of the iconic creatures are going to be there,” he said, adding that people have jumped in to commit to pulling floats and puppeteering. “With such short notice, we were concerned that there wouldn’t be time for people to adopt the creatures and make costumes, but nearly every one has been adopted.”

Among them: a flock of peacocks, a pride of lions, a salmon, a crab, an enormous monarch butterfly and a 12-foot armadillo that poops Tootsie Rolls.

“A lot of spirit has emerged in the last week,” Sterling said.

Procession of the Species

What: The procession — a parade with no words and no motorized vehicles except wheelchairs — celebrates the natural world and human creativity with music, dance, floats, puppets, costumes and more.

When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25.

Where: Begins at Jefferson Street and Legion Way, Olympia, and ends in Heritage Park.

Get involved: If you’d like to participate, stop at the registration table at Legion Way and Cherry Street to pick up a windsock or fish-on-a-stick to carry. Participants are asked to donate to the Thurston County Food Bank.

More information: https://www.procession.org/

Luminary Procession

What: Handmade luminaries are the stars of the evening procession, which also features music and dance.

When: 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 24.

Where: Starts and ends at Fourth Avenue and Washington Street, Olympia.

Get involved: Come to the start of the procession at 8 p.m. if you’d like to borrow a luminary to carry.

Also: The weather forecast looks good, but note that the Luminary Procession will be cancelled if it rains.

More information: https://www.procession.org/luminary-procession