Easter sees a Holy Spirit

Hundreds of local residents caught a festive Easter spirit this weekend even if the weather didn’t follow suit.

Both the University Baptist Church and the Preservation Society of Chapel Hill hosted public events to celebrate Good Friday and Easter.

Hoping to deviate from the traditional approach to the holiday, a group of parishioners at the church organized a garden walk Friday to commemorate Jesus’ final days.

“We wanted to turn an ordinary day into a holy day for people,” said church member Elizabeth Blalock.

The church set up seven stations, each decorated with art, pottery and poetry.

Each station had a card featuring a brief thought or a statement meant to provoke reflection.

“We wanted to do something meaningful and personal,” said R.G. Huff, minister of worship and discipleship at the church.

Visitors could go at their own pace, spending as much or as little time as they wished at each stop.

By holding the walk outside, the church hoped to use its garden — located on the corner of Franklin and Columbia streets — as a way to reach the greater community.

“We cannot just sit on this corner and do nothing,” said senior pastor H. Mitchell Simpson.

The weather forced the event inside, but the turnout still was surprisingly high, he said.

The church held the event during lunch hours to try to attract people beyond its worship community, such as students and people who work downtown.

It was the first such walk for the church, but members said it will not be the last.

“We plan to do something like this next year, because this has been quite successful,” Huff said.

Like the church’s garden walk, an Easter egg hunt at the Horace Williams House on Saturday overcame the elements.

The preservation society held its annual Easter egg hunt at the house, located at 610 E. Rosemary St.

“We have a great crowd this year, especially for this lousy weather,” said society Executive Director Catherine Frank.

Volunteers stuffed and hid almost 1,000 eggs for the event, Frank said.

“It’s fun ’cause you get to go into the trees and get a lot of candy, unlike other places,” said 7-year-old John Walden, who has come to the event for the past three years.

Children also participated in a variety of other activities, such as an egg race and a spelling game.

And, of course, the Easter bunny was on hand.

“I think it’s cool, because little kids get to find eggs and get cool prizes, and I like the games,” said 11-year-old volunteer Kelly Rigsbee.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.