RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — One Easter tradition in Richmond is hopping back to life.
Easter on Parade is returning to Monument Avenue after the celebration was canceled for the past three years.
Jessica Corbett, with Echelon Events, said people can expect all of the same traditions from before.
“It’s a great family event. One that people love to go to,” she said.
The pandemic forced the celebration to stop in 2020 and again in 2021. “Easter on parade started in 1973. So, if we hadn’t stopped for COVID, we would’ve been in our 50th anniversary,” Corbett said.
Last year, parade organizers couldn’t pull enough resources together to make it happen.
“We finally had enough funding to bring it back,” Corbett said.
She said their presenting sponsor, Kroger Mid-Atlantic, helped them put on the $40,000 event. Additional funding and support came from the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, the city, and the Monument Avenue Preservation Society.
The celebration is free and will be held Sunday, April 9 from 1 p.m. to 5 pm. in the rain or shine.
Organizers said about 20,000 to 30,000 people come by the parade every year.
“It brings out all walks of life. You know families, singles. I mean everyone comes to this event. You name it, it’s there,” Corbett said.
With thousands of people dressed in their Sunday best, they’ll get to experience a day full of color, character and eggcitement.
You might catch families and pets wearing extravagant bonnets to face off in a competition. The People and Pet Bonnet Contest will happen at 3:30 p.m. on North Allen Street.
Corbett said people can expect music, face painting, arts and crafts, a kid’s entertainment zone, and food and retail vendors.
They’re still working out the entertainment schedule, and they’re looking for more retail vendors, she said.
Both sides of Monument Avenue will shut down and organizers will set up stages on North Allen and North Davis Avenues.
With this being the first parade since the city’s confederate monuments came down, Corbett said they’ll have a little bit more space.
“It’s not springtime in Richmond without Easter on Parade. We know the community will be excited to see this special event return just as they loved it,” Michael Lantz. with the Monument Avenue Preservation Society, said. “We’re grateful to Kroger, the Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia, the City of Richmond and everyone who worked together to bring back this famous event.”
“The Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia is a place for all people, and we are a part of the community,” Andrea Wright, director of development & communications at the Black History Museum, said. “Easter on Parade is a wonderful tradition, and we are so happy that this event allows us to connect with members of the community in a way we have never done before.”
