Paved with more than 150,000 red bricks and stretching some 600 feet between Sunset Boulevard and Fountain Avenue, the road links two of the city’s most significant arteries while serving, on this day, as a place where the neighborhood comes together and smiles.
Hosted by the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles, the annual Giant Easter Egg Hunt and Family Fun Festival drew 5,000 people to East Hollywood on April 5. The event unfolded as a full-scale community celebration—25,000 eggs scattered across the grounds, alongside petting zoos, face painting, egg decorating, live entertainment, bouncy houses, food trucks and a steady stream of families moving between activities designed for every age group, all provided at no cost.
“I think it’s amazing what our Church does—it’s a great way to give back to the community.”
More than a holiday tradition, the festival has become a regular gathering point for the community. In an area where affordable, family-friendly spaces are scarce, it offers a simple but meaningful place for people to come together—one that reflects how the Church opens its doors to all and serves as a meeting ground where people of all backgrounds can gather and take part.
“I think it’s very cool that the Church puts these activities on,” said Matt, an electrical contractor and Scientologist father of four, watching his daughter emerge triumphant with a handful of eggs. “It was nice being able to get out and sit down here and watch the kids play in a peaceful environment. I think it’s amazing what our Church does—it’s a great way to give back to the community.”
Founded in 1954 and headquartered on Sunset Boulevard since 1977, the Church serves as a hub for both religious activity and cooperative initiatives across the Los Angeles Basin. Its calendar of outreach extends well beyond Easter, encompassing regular food drives, neighborhood cleanups, and drug education efforts aimed at prevention and recovery—all conducted in partnership with local organizations and law enforcement.
For attendees, the day’s center of gravity remained unmistakable: At 1 p.m., scores of children surged onto a wide stretch of astroturf for the egg hunt—the festival’s most anticipated moment. Thousands of brightly colored eggs dotted the field, festooned with balloons and framed by palm trees swaying in the distance. Among them were two dozen “golden” eggs, each redeemable for a basket of prizes.
Nearby, the pace slowed as attendees drifted between food stations, serving themselves and carrying plates off to eat. Trays of golden croissants and frosted cupcakes appeared alongside made-to-order omelets filled with melted cheese, while platters of grilled salmon and sliced ham rounded out the offerings. Bowls of fresh fruit and crisp salads added color to the scene, as families dispersed to eat under the sun or in shaded corners, giving the celebration the feel of a shared meal rather than a public event.
Pulling off an event of this size required weeks of preparation behind the scenes, Susanna Kaneer, Public Affairs Director for Church of Scientology Western United States, explained. Thousands of plastic eggs had to be filled, sorted and distributed. “We have a team of volunteers that does that,” she said. “And then we have our own staff that puts all the decorations out.”
For Kaneer, what matters most is that the event brings people joy and brings them together. “The people who come here represent every single ethnicity of Los Angeles,” she said. “You have people getting out of their houses and coming together, and it’s important for us to contribute to that—to make the quality of life better in East Hollywood.”
That continuity extends throughout the year, with the Church hosting family-friendly community events on Mother’s Day, the Fourth of July and Halloween.
For first-time attendees like Jannisen, a nurse practitioner who traveled from Westwood after discovering the event on Instagram, the appeal was immediate.
“My grandaunt wanted us to attend church on Easter in Koreatown,” she said. “But I told her I would be going here, because there is more for kids to do.”
By late afternoon, as families drifted back toward Sunset Boulevard and Fountain Avenue, the eggs had been gathered, the prizes claimed and the crowds thinned.
What remained was quieter but lasting: a street turned, for a few hours, into shared space—and a reminder that, in a city where it’s easy to feel disconnected, community can still be built the old-fashioned way—by bringing people together and giving them a reason to stay.
