They came in droves on Easter Sunday, booming bonnets that bounced down Fifth Avenue as the morning sun glistened by Saint Patrick Cathedral’s towering spires. They came from New York, they came from out of state, they came from out of country – they came to mark Easter Sunday with hundreds of unique hats.
The Hoffman family arrived from the Upper East Side for its very first Easter Hat Parade, each member working together to create bonnets with eggs and rabbits. Seven-year-old Mia and nine-year-old Blake were excited for the holiday celebration. Between making fun hats and enjoying lots of chocolate, the brother and sister duo were all smiles.
“We did it together,” Masha Hoffman said, pointing at her daughter’s hat which was layered in paper plates with plastic eggs in between each section. “This is our first time, and I didn’t expect so many people to be so prepared. I thought people mostly come to watch but there’s a lot of people joining in.”
Melessia Marciano came from Wilmington, North Carolina and held a paper mache rabbit mask over her face as she walked through the sea of participants. For Marciano, the parade is about showcasing your creativity.
“My daughter wants to be an artist when she grows up, she’s 15. She went to summer camp in the Adirondacks and learned how to create paper mache masks and made this for because she knows how much I love rabbits,” Marciano said.
“I love the parade because you get to see people using their almost hidden talents and skills that come out and just have fun and be with people to share your creativity with everyone,” Marciano added.
Megan Indoe and her husband decided at the last minute to participate in their first Easter Hat parade. After purchasing some art supplies at Five Below, Indoe glued several Peeps marshmallow chicks together to make a rainbow headband.
“This was a last-ditch effort. Last night I went to Five Below and my husband and I made a Peeps hat that took us about 20 minutes,” Indoe said.
Davey Mitchell chose to adorn an entire outfit with jewelry in honor of his friend Christina Viera who died last June from cancer.
“This is dedicated to my friend Christina Viera, she died of cervical cancer last June. She was a fashion collector, artist and painter and jewelry maker. These are all of her things and it’s her memorial today,” Mitchell said.
