Bigfoot was wheeled down Grand Avenue on Saturday, May 3, alongside parade-goers dressed as owls, mushrooms, fish and an abundance of other flora and fauna. But don’t worry, this was no illusion – It was Bellingham’s Procession of the Species parade.
Thanks to Gabriel’s Art Kids, the Procession of the Species parade returned to Bellingham for the first time in five years. The stretch from the Bellingham Public Library to Maritime Heritage Park came alive with colorful costumes, large floats and live music.
This unique event found its roots in Olympia, Wash. Created in 1995 to celebrate Earth Day and support the Environmental Protection Act, this noncommercial celebration of the environment and the arts eventually found its way to Bellingham in 2004.
The City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation coordinated the original Bellingham event alongside local artist Carol Oberton.
Oberton said she and parks and recreation hosted a community art space out of an office building owned by the Port of Bellingham leading up to the event for the creation of parade costumes and floats.
When parks and recreation was no longer interested in hosting the art space, Oberton stepped in and formed a nonprofit called Start Here Community Arts in 2008 to keep the space open.
As the art space relocated over the next decade and support from different organizations came and went, Oberton remained dedicated to keeping the event alive. From advertising, acquiring permits and even hand-designing floats and costumes, Oberton tirelessly kept the event running for nearly a decade longer.
When COVID-19 hit, the event was shut down for public safety reasons. It remained dormant until this year, when Gabriel’s Art Kids got involved.
“We had been a participant in the past. We always liked to make a big float and be part of the parade,” said Casey Alexander, event and outreach office assistant for Gabriel’s Art Kids. “Last summer, we reached out to [Oberton] and asked if we could have her blessing to take it over and bring it back to life.”
And bring it back to life they did. At the end of the parade route, 16 different groups came together to provide music, face painting, informational booths, volunteer opportunities, games and more.
Gabriel’s Art Kids involvement is far from over. They plan to continue coordinating the event in the future and elevate it past its former glory. For the Procession of the Species event, a community art and storage space, food trucks and even bigger and better floats are on the horizon.
For those interested in lending a hand in the next parade, more information can be found through the event page of Gabriel’s Art Kids’ website.
“We really wanted to put together a free festival for our community that was based on art, education and environmental education,” Alexander said. “Our goal was to provide this big, fun event where anybody could come, and anybody could participate. There were no financial barriers, and we could revitalize that park space, which is very rarely used.”
Jae Ranney (they/them) is a second-year journalism major and city news reporter for The Front this quarter, having previously worked in campus news. When they're not chasing a lede or hounding you for a quote, they enjoy playing guitar, banjo, and drumming in a few local bands. You can reach them at jaeranney.thefront@gmail.com.
