Western Addition Easter Weekend, In PicturesPhoto: Beth Thomas/Hoodline
Shaquina Blake
Published on March 27, 2016

Easter was celebrated across Western Addition this weekend, from church services in the Fillmore to an easter egg hunt in Hayes Valley. Here’s more, in photos and interviews. 

Easter Egg Hunt 

In Hayes Valley, Public Bikes is a relative newcomer to neighborhood. They’ve been in neighborhood less than 2 years. Julie Fong, manager at the store, wanted to do something special the holiday.


They planned host of activities on Saturday and for the neighborhood's tiniest residents the day began with an Easter Egg Hunt at Patricia Green and Linden St.

The eggs contained prizes like coupons and candy.  One lucky kid, Chase, found the golden egg — the prize was a Public Bike. 


After the Easter Egg Hunt we spoke to families about their Easter Plans. 


Iris is visiting her mom for Spring Break and Sara lives in the neighborhood: they plan to go City Church at Davies Symphony Hall and make ham and dirt pudding cake.  


Taylor Travis and his son, from the Fillmore: on Sunday they're attending the sunrise Easter ceremony on Alcatraz then going to Oakland for some soul food. 


Julie Fong of San Francisco, and manager of Public Bikes: she plans to ride big wheels in costumes with her friends on Vermont Street then go to San Jalisco.

Easter egg hunt photos by Shaquina Blake/Hoodline

Easter Morning Breakfast And Youth Program 

In the heart of the Fillmore, early morning services began at sunrise for the oldest African-American church west of the Mississippi.


Third Baptist Church was established in San Francisco in 1852 and has a rich legacy in the community.  It’s a place where civil right icons like W.E.B Du Bios spent his 90th birthday and was visited by Martin Luther King according the pastor, Amos Brown.


Brown, a civil rights icon in his own right, is the president of San Francisco branch of the NAACP.  


After services, members and friends gathered in the fellowship hall for traditional southern breakfast of grits, biscuits, sausage and eggs, but there was a twist kale and fish were served as healthy options. 


Preston Turner started the breakfast 10 years ago.  It’s free for all, and they invite the whole neighborhood to the breakfast.   His idea is “Frangelizing", make friends and evangelizing.


“Easter is not the Easter Bunny! “ a tiny voiced boomed, kicking off the youth program for Easter.  The Easter program is time for young people to shine as Sunday Day school moves basement to sanctuary.  The children recite speeches; and the children's choir performs.  


When we spoke to parishioners their Easter plans.  They mainly spoke to us about the sanctity of the day, but many told us about how proud they were of the church’s history on civil rights and helping the community.  


Churchgoers will tell you that Easter is to celebrate the Resurrection that’s what’s most important but Easter outfits have prominence too, especially the Easter hat.  


High Mass At The Church of the Advent of Christ the King

In the southern edge of the Western Addition sits the Church of the Advent of Christ the King.


The church has been in San Francisco since 1858 — it's steeped in tradition and highly ritualistic but groundbreaking in its beliefs.  


They practice inclusivity and since the 1980s have supported the LGBTQ community. They also stage barbecues for the homeless on every federal holiday. 


In additional attraction to the church is a renowned choir of professionally trained musicians. It consists of only five members: soprano, alto, tenor, bass, a baritone, but with the acoustics of the church and the highly skilled vocalists,  you could be fooled into thinking they are a much larger group.  


The choir has sung in many places including Grace Cathedral and they’ve gone on tour in England.  


Text and easter egg hunt photos by Shaquina Blake, Third Baptist and Church of the Advent of Christ the King photos by Beth Thomas.