Ready, Set, Go!
Written by Tim Buckley, April 2025
Children eagerly line up for the egg hunt at the Hallman-Northgate NFC's Spring event on April 5th
With those words, youngsters poised like tiny sprinters sprang forth into the happy hunting grounds of Northgate Park, where thousands of prize-filled eggs awaited.
With their Easter baskets in one hand and the other frantically grasping for colorful plastic eggs, the kids quickly scoured the park for treasure, while hundreds of parents looked on with big smiles. It was the fourth annual Hallman-Northgate Welcome to Spring festival hosted by the Neighborhood Family Council.
Some of the prized eggs contained candy or toys. But others, the golden ones, held tickets for bigger prizes. And, as part of a raffle, 10 people won $40 gift cards to local shops.
Maria Cisneros, chair of the Washington Neighborhood Family Council, is shown on the far right with recent speaker Amelia Franck Meyer.
“I was invited by a friend on the Neighborhood Family Council,” said Maria Cisneros, who chairs another Family Council, in the Washington neighborhood. “My mom had never been to such an event, and she was amazed.”
“I asked her if she wanted to have a picture taken with me and my 2-year-old nephew. She said yes and then asked me how much it would cost? I said, ‘It’s free, mom!”
“Later, I brought her a hotdog and all the side dishes,” Maria continued. “She asked me, ‘How much was that?’ I laughed and said, ‘It’s free, mom. Everything here is free!”
“She couldn’t believe that all this celebration, the prizes, the activities….everything was free.”
Besides the photo booth, there was a frame booth, where people customized the frames with stickers and glitter before mounting their new family portrait.
There was another tent where bracelet making was happening, and another booth where squeals of delight accompanied temporary tattoo applications. Just the other side of the array of tents and tables were two corn hole courts, with winners getting easter eggs with prizes inside.
Enlace dancers smile while performing for local Hallman-Northgate neighbors
And on stage, Enlace’s Ballet Folklorico entertained the crowd, with dancers displaying fine dresses from Mexican states like Jalisco, Sineloa and Oaxaca. “There were adults and teens dancing,” Maria said, “and many of the songs were traditional ones that people knew.”
“It was an event where people could relax, a secure setting where everybody could, at least temporarily, feel at home and just enjoy themselves,” she added. “It seemed that everyone was smiling.”
