J H I, 2106 Monument Ave.:

Davis Stage, Monument and Davis avenues:

Porto Porch, 2211 Monument Ave.

A Bunny Photo Booth, where you can have your picture taken with the Easter Bunny, is new this year. Also on hand will be food vendors, pony rides, a petting zoo and roving artists such as Jonathan Austin, the More or Less Morris Dancers, Peggy the Clown and a stilt-walking clown.

For details, visit www.venturerichmond.com or call (804) 788-6466.

And not to worry, festivalgoers, portable toilets, including handicap-accessible stalls and hand sanitizers, will be available. - Cynthia McMullen

Anatomy of a festival

If you trace Easter on Parade to its origins, this is the 36th annual event. Here, a brief history:
1973: Monument Avenue Preservation Society has its first Sunday Afternoon on Monument Avenue. Zayde Dotts' vision - the avenue as a parklike area where friends, neighbors, kids and dogs can visit or play - comes true when the City Council agrees to close it on Easter Sunday between Robinson and Meadow streets.
1975: The event becomes the Monument Avenue Easter Festival.
1980: Now it's called Easter Parade.
1986: Future Easter Parades (now held on Monument between Robinson Street and Stuart Circle) are in danger because of a sudden spike in liability insurance.
1987: Downtown Presents . . . picks up sponsorship. The event moves to Franklin Street, between Madison and Third streets; it debuts as Easter on Parade.
1990: Easter on Parade is canceled because of heavy rains in the morning (which clear up by noon).
1991: Easter on Parade sashays back to Monument Avenue between Allen and Davis avenues as a grand finale to the avenue's centennial celebration.
2003: Downtown Presents . . . becomes citycelebrations and continues to sponsor the event.
2005: Storm predictions delay the event for a week. Many paradegoers show up, anyway.
2007: Venture Richmond, a conglomeration of Richmond organizations including citycelebrations, becomes Easter on Parade sponsor.
- Wendy Addison
and Cynthia McMullen