The Ultimate Not-Necessarily-Annual Easter Parade & Matzo Ball Returns to Downtown Phoenix

One of downtown Phoenix’s most colorful grassroots traditions returns Sunday, April 5, 2026, as The Not-Necessarily-Annual Easter Parade & Matzo Ball brings music, art, wildlife, and community celebration to the historic Monroe Street Abbey, 302 W. Monroe St.

Celebrating the shared traditions of Easter and Passover, the free public event revives a beloved Phoenix parade first created in 1985 by Estelle Speros MacDonald and Scott Jacobson. The 2026 gathering marks the fifth Easter Parade & Matzo Ball held in the city’s history.

Former Mayor Terry Goddard helped relaunch the celebration, continuing a joyful neighborhood tradition rooted in creativity, inclusion, and civic spirit.

Honoring Two Phoenix Icons

This year’s celebration honors two influential women whose work shaped Phoenix’s cultural life:

• Estelle Speros MacDonald, founder of Estelle’s Bistro (1983–1985), a downtown gathering place where art, community, and jazz flourished. The Ted Goddard 10-piece band will perform jazz arrangements by legendary pianist Prince Shell in tribute to the Bistro era.

• Jana Bommersbach, acclaimed journalist and author whose writing and civic passion helped define Central Phoenix life for decades. Bommersbach passed away on July 17, 2024, and the community gathers in recognition of her enduring influence and spirit.

Parade, Music, and Community Celebration

The historic Monroe Street Abbey — a restored 1929 landmark transformed into one of Phoenix’s most dynamic cultural venues — will host an afternoon of performances, art, and family activities.

Event Schedule

·       2 p.m. — Doors open

·       3 p.m. — Easter Parade launches

·       4 p.m. – 6 p.m. — Courtyard music, games, festivities

The parade features dance performances and New Orleans-style music by the Bad Cactus Brass Band. A rehabilitated hawk released by co-sponsor Liberty Wildlife will symbolize renewal and freedom, while a Golden Eagle leads the parade procession through downtown Phoenix.

Participants are encouraged to wear imaginative hats inspired by the New York Fifth Avenue Easter Parade tradition.

Art, Fashion, and Community Collaboration

More than 20 artists contributed to the event’s creative experience. Featured artwork includes pieces by Janie Ellis, Michael Marlowe, William X Nordrum, Robin Oden, and Selah Yu, with choreography by Sue Campa and Ryan Curt Evans. Pre-event hat-making workshops, co-sponsored by ASU FIDM, helped participants design custom parade attire.

Unique Attractions

The Easter Parade & Matzo Ball features a wide range of interactive and artistic experiences, including:

• Live jazz performances in the Abbey Ballroom

• Giant Cornhole Toss games crowned with matzo balls and Easter eggs

• A festive downtown parade route filled with creative hats and costumes

• Release of rehabilitated birds by Liberty Wildlife symbolizing freedom and renewal

• A 360-degree immersive video experience with videos delivered instantly via QR code

• T-shirts commemorating the event will be available for ordering at www.easterparadematzoball.com 

Following the parade, attendees will gather in the Abbey courtyard for games, entertainment, and community celebration.

Community Partnership

Co-sponsor Liberty Wildlife, a Phoenix nonprofit dedicated to wildlife rehabilitation and conservation education, will present live educational experiences alongside the ceremonial bird release.

A Phoenix Tradition for Everyone

Blending art, music, humor, history, and neighborhood spirit, the Easter Parade & Matzo Ball welcomes families, artists, pets, neighbors, and visitors alike. “No invitation required — just wear a hat and join the celebration,” organizers say.

The event is free and open to the public. More information about the event – including its history in words and photos – is available at www.easterparadematzoball.com

About the Monroe Street Abbey

The Monroe Street Abbey, formerly Phoenix First Baptist Church, is a historic Spanish Revival meets Italian Renaissance building constructed between 1928 and 1929. After a devastating fire in 1984 during Terry Goddard’s mayoral era, the building stood as a ruin for decades. Former Mayor Goddard championed its preservation, and in the early 1990s helped save it from demolition. Working with Tempe’s Jones Studio, the restoration embraced the “garden in a ruin” concept, transforming the charred sanctuary into a tranquil courtyard open to the stars and framed by century-old walls. This architectural gem, with its soaring rose window facade and seven-story bell tower, now serves as a premier event venue that honors Phoenix’s past while celebrating its future. For more information about the venue, visit www.monroestreetabbey.com