Everything Under the Sun Parade
The is a free, annual community procession that celebrates the creative power of ordinary people. Based in Southeast Portland, the parade welcomes all Portlanders into a joyful ritual featuring large-scale paper-mache puppets, live music, and months of community outreach, story sharing, and puppet-building workshops with local organizations, schools, and individuals.
At its heart, the parade celebrates the idea that making art together, cultivating spaces of joy, and uplifting the contributions of everyday people are powerful ways to sustain our spirits and strengthen our communities. We are committed to sharing the means of artistic production with the community by offering free workshops that center accessibility and affirm the belief that everyone can and should have access to art-making.
The project is guided by clear values: inclusivity is practiced as an active commitment to welcoming, honoring, and uplifting the creativity of all who join; all participants are invited to bring a creative expression of their community joy; commercial exchange and promotion are not allowed; community partners are chosen for their deep commitment to supporting Portlanders, especially underserved communities; and sustainable reuse of materials is prioritized.
Each year, the parade also partners with a local non-arts-based community organization to create puppets that highlight and celebrate their mission. One featured partner, Hygiene4All—a houseless-run hygiene and health hub in Portland—worked with us to create giant puppets of a paper-mâché bathtub and toothbrushes to communicate their essential work. This collaborative model continues to shape the parade, ensuring it remains rooted in both joy and community connection.
