Bonnets in Bloom: A Community’s Springtime Tradition

The annual Hat Pageant and Luncheon, organized by Assemblywoman Nikki Lucas in partnership with Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, is held each spring and celebrates attendees in their Sunday best, including bonnets and hats.

This year, on April 2nd, the ninth annual celebration drew over 100 guests to the Brooklyn Sports Club at 1540 Van Siclen Avenue. The main highlights included Uptown Royalty's live performance, entertainment, prizes, and lunch. As one yearly participant shared, "I look forward to this, and seeing my neighbors in their beautiful hats and dressed up. There is a lot of love in the air."

The tradition of Easter hats is deeply rooted in the holiday's theme of renewal, spring, rebirth, and awakening. Historically, new clothes worn to church represented a fresh start, and this custom fits within the wider Christian practice of donning new garments for the holiday. By the Middle Ages, Easter embodied renewal both spiritually and visually.

Building on this history, the rise of elaborate hats in fashion culture became closely tied to Easter. By the late 18th and especially the 19th centuries, Easter in England and the United States became an important event for showcasing spring fashion, with women's hats growing more decorative, embellished with flowers, ribbons, and artificial birds. According to history.co.uk, historians trace the origin of the "Easter bonnet" tradition to the Victorian era (mid–late 1800s), when public display and seasonal fashion merged, making the hat central to the celebration.

This evolution in fashion and tradition culminated in the late 19th to early 20th centuries, most notably with the Easter Parade in New York City. During the 1870s to 1890s, people paraded down Fifth Avenue after church to show off their Easter outfits, particularly their hats. The hat became not just part of the outfit but the celebration's highlight.

Congressman Jeffries expressed his sentiments to mylocalpress, "It's always an honor and a privilege to partner with Assemblymember Nikki Lucas for the annual Easter Hat Pageant extravaganza and see some of the wonderful hats on display. Year after year, since 2017, this event is a massive success that uplifts and celebrates our seniors across Starrett City and beyond, who have given so much to our community." Having grown up in the Cornerstone Baptist Church, I understand the importance of a bold, statement-making church hat. I'm thankful that we have been able to keep this joyous celebration of Black cultural traditions alive, centered in faith, family, and fellowship."

For more information about this event and other upcoming events, you can follow Lucas and Jeffries on their social media pages @nikkilucasnyc and @repjeffries.