Children watch a shadow puppet show during the Public Dream's Secret Souls Walk in Vancouver in 2010.Simon Beaumont/ The Globe and Mail
Secret Souls Walk
Stroll East Side alleys as they come alive with musicians, actors, dancers and ghosts of the city's past at the Secret Souls Walk – the latest incarnation of Public Dreams' popular Halloween procession.
Meeting at a secret starting point, you'll embark on a journey back through five eras, from the boom and bust of 1920s-1940s Vancouver – complete with zombie swing dancers and a shadow play that tells tales of Chinese immigrants – right back to a time when plants and animals ruled the planet.
Along the way, you'll encounter myriad characters who emerge from back yards – among them giant stilt-walking spiders and a funeral band – before re-emerging in a park where you can catch aerialists performing in trees, experience the one-of-a-kind Dronehenge organ installation, and leave messages in a community shrine.
Then if you still have a little life left, you can head to the Maritime Labour Centre for a Parade of Lost Souls Dance Party.
As always, full participation in the event is strongly encouraged. "What makes this event so special is its interactivity. About 70 per cent of our patrons show up in costumes," says artistic producer Ari Lazer. "So the line between who are the artists and who are the patrons gets muddled together, and it's just one big happening."
The Secret Souls walk begins Saturday at 5 p.m. By donation, $5 suggested. The starting location is available on the Public Dreams website (publicdreams.org).