Rainy Easter Fun on South Street

The yearly Easter celebration on South Street turned into a quirky show despite heavy rain and no parade. A small crowd gathered, but fans still arrived in eye‑catching outfits to lift the gloomy mood. Longtime organizer Henri David spent a sleepless night crafting a waterproof hat, studded with fake jellybeans that tipped the scale at about 20 pounds. “It hurts a lot, but we have to keep going, ” he said, reflecting his decades of dedication. Free jellybeans from Frankford Candy kept the atmosphere light and sweet, while local car dealer Gary Barbera lent a Tesla Cybertruck decorated with promotional stickers. Barbera also judged nine contests, including the “best razzle dazzle” award won by Michael Swiencki in a giant Easter Island mask and purple suit.Millinery expert Jamel Workman, one of the few hat makers left in the city, wore a green top‑hat homage to the Mad Hatter and spoke about reviving the lost craft that began with Stetson in Philadelphia. State Senator Nikil Saval and City Councilmember Mark Squilla joined the panel of judges, alongside fashion designer Monica Thompson and tourism official Binh Nguyen. The event’s organizers count participants by the number of bunny ears handed out; this year only a few hundred were distributed, and attendance fell to just dozens. Director Eleanor Ingersoll expressed disappointment over the bad weather but remained hopeful that future events, like SpringFest on May 2, will benefit from better skies.