October 24 – November 1
Nine days
- Sat · Oct 24
3:00–4:30 PMDay 1 · Opening: The Dumb Supper
Chief Iyanifa Yeye Luisah Teish
- Sun · Oct 25
5:00–7:00 PMDay 2 · Plant Ancestors
Queen Mother Iya Sobande Greer
- Mon · Oct 26
5:00–6:30 PMDay 3 · Full Moon Ritual
Chief Iyanifa Yeye Luisah Teish and community
- Tue · Oct 27
5:00–7:00 PMSupply list sent aheadDay 4 · Ancestor Shrine & Water Gazing
Chief Iyanifa Yeye Luisah Teish
- Wed · Oct 28
5:00–7:00 PMMaterials list sent aheadDay 5 · Creating Your Egun Staff
Chief Baba Akinrinola Greer
- Thu · Oct 29
5:00–6:30 PMDay 6 · Family Storytelling & Griot Cards
Griot Marion
- Fri · Oct 30
5:00–7:00 PMDay 7 · Vodun in New Orleans
Chief Iyanifa Yeye Luisah Teish
- Sat · Oct 31
Local cemetery timesIn person or localDay 8 · Cemetery Sweep
At your own local cemetery with guided instructions, or in person in Oakland with Iya KawoGbemi and Shylah Hamilton-Touré
- Sun · Nov 1
3:00–4:00 PMDay 9 · Closing Ancestor Feast
Drumming, storytelling, and the Roll Call of the Ancestors
All times Pacific.
Come for all nine, or for one.
We feed the dead and speak their names.
Festival of the Bones is the Center's fall festival and the ancestor turn of our sacred year. It belongs to Egungun, the collective of the ancestors, and it carries us into the days when many traditions across the diaspora set a place for their dead.
The festival is held under the spiritual direction of Chief Iyanifa Yeye Luisah Teish, with teachers from across our community. Students in this fall's Cracking the Ancestral Code cohort are already registered.
It is also our gala. All year the Center gathers friends and family at smaller tables, and those dinners lead here: one festival where the people who love this work stand together for the land and for the elders who carry it.
All proceeds go to the Jambalaya Center and the Sacred Land Campaign.
From wherever your people rest.
Before the first day
- Get your pass. The links for each session go to pass holders.
- Watch your email for the supply list (Day 4, Ancestor Shrine) and the materials list (Day 5, Egun Staff).
- Decide where you'll sweep on October 31: your own local cemetery, or in person with us in Oakland.
- Gather the names you want called at the Roll Call of the Ancestors.
Where is the festival held?
Online, except the Cemetery Sweep on October 31. You can do the sweep at your own local cemetery with guided instructions, or in person in Oakland with Iya KawoGbemi and Shylah Hamilton-Touré.
Can I come for just one day?
Yes. Single days are $21.03, and a pay-what-you-can option is open to anyone who needs it.
Do I need to be initiated?
No. The festival is open to anyone who comes in good faith. Participation is not initiation.
Are the sessions recorded?
Recording follows spiritual protocol and our elders' discernment. Some work is never recorded, so come live when you can.
Can my organization sponsor the festival?
Yes. Write to info@jambalayacenter.org and we'll talk about sponsoring a day or the gala.