The 20th annual Peoplehood, a West Philly-based parade and community gathering, will take place Saturday, Oct. 19. The event once again will feature giant puppets, created by Spiral Q puppet makers with the help of community members.

The parade starts at the Paul Robeson House (4951 Walnut) at 1 p.m. and marches along West Philly streets to Clark Park (45th & Chester) for a participatory giant puppet performance around 2:15 p.m. 

Photos by West Philly Local

Nearly 500 people of all ages will be marching, dancing, and carrying giant puppets, banners, and drums, followed by a drum line performance, flash mob style dance, and a short giant puppet pageant in Clark Park.

Peoplehood is a free and non-commercial event that celebrates and lifts up people, especially those living in or working against oppression. Organizations, activists, families, and neighbors join together to represent who they are and what they care about. Peoplehood celebrates and energizes people and unites Spiral Q’s diverse communities.

This year’s theme is dedicated to the launch of Spiral Q’s Peoplehood Art for Actions Pipeline, which utilizes the power of people (artists, volunteer groups, community groups) to create artwork used in protests and demonstrations. Spiral Q’s partners in this inaugural year of the Peoplehood Pipeline are ACT-UP Philadelphia, Philly Thrive, and the Shut Down Berks Coalition.

More information about the parade, including map, is available on the Spiral Q website.