Easter brings joyful reason for family park gatherings
After the pandemic shut spaces in 2020, traditions return in full force
Music, colorful piñatas and the alluring smell of barbecue returned to Brackenridge, Woodlawn Lake and other city parks Sunday, reviving the family tradition of Easter memories shared across generations, as if they’d never gone away.
Nearly a year had passed since the city’s 250-plus parks and the 10 Bexar County parks shut down as a precaution during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Ron Nirenberg said then that the Easter family gatherings were “one of the traditions we are going to have to put a pause on because of the spread of this disease.”
This year, with warning indicators on the decline and many residents having been vaccinated, the city and county reopened the parks, while reminding everyone to remain cautious and follow health guidelines when necessary, wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing.
Christina Garza was glad to be back in her family’s long-cherished spot by the San Antonio River in Brackenridge Park.
Even though the city prohibited people from camping in parks on Easter weekend — it had lifted its curfew at 10 parks starting on the Thursday night of Holy Week in 2019 — Garza used caution tape to mark their location Saturday. She was waiting Sunday for the rest of about 8-10 family members to gather for barbecue, cascarones, Easter baskets and, for the adults, naps in hammocks tied to the trees.
Garza, 42, who has six daughters, said it was great to be “enjoying the day” amid the scenic surroundings, intermittent sunshine and mild temperatures. Last year, “we were all really scared to go out, even to my mom’s” for Easter, she said.
This year, although no one in the family has yet been vaccinated, everyone’s been tested, Garza said. She gave kudos to the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department for having portable potties in the park this year.
“It feels really good being able to just spend time with the family and teach my little ones the traditions that we have,” she said.
Brackenridge, with 343 acres, is deeply enshrined in San Antonio history, in an area with archaeological evidence of humans dating back thousands of years, and ruins of 1700s Spanish-engineered acequias that carried water for bathing and irrigation.
The park is home to the San Antonio
Zoo, Japanese Tea Garden and other popular features. After last year’s pandemic-related Easter hiatus, it was alive again Sunday with pop-up tents, inflatable bouncers, dogs, babies in strollers, and people playing badminton, throwing balls and tossing discs, bean bags and horseshoes.
White-costumed Easter bunnies greeted park patrons and took pictures with awestruck children.
Andrew Rodriguez, 48, said his family has gathered at Brackenridge every Easter for more than 50 years — except for last year. It’s become so heavily ingrained in family tradition that he and his relatives wear matching T-shirts for the occasion.
“I’ve been coming here since I was a kid,” Rodriguez said as he cooked two sheets of fajita meat. “I love to barbecue for everybody.”
His family staked out a gathering spot in the park Friday night.
“We usually get a bigger area, but we didn’t want to be too greedy, because we have a lot of people. But it’s like, let’s all enjoy it,” Rodriguez said. “It’s a good feeling. It feels like before long, we’re getting back to normal, hopefully.”
But while the joy of the religious holiday would be bathed in images of children hunting Easter eggs, breaking open a piñata filled with candy and eating chocolate bunnies, Rodriguez was mindful of the seriousness of the past year, on a day that symbolizes victory over death. Although some of his relatives have been vaccinated for COVID-19, the family is still grieving the death of the wife of one of his cousins. She died of the disease at age 43.
“Hopefully this all goes back to normal. That’s what we’re hoping for. In Jesus’ name, we’ll pray,” Rodriguez said.