A large crowd of community members packed the Santa Barbara County Courthouse’s Sunken Gardens on Sunday for Calvary Chapel’s annual Easter service.  

The service, called Easter in the garden, has been a longtime tradition hosted by local church Calvary Chapel, marking its 29th year on Sunday, according to Pastor Tommy Schneider. 

“That is so exciting,” he said.

Although the service began at 10 a.m., a large crowd formed well before, as attendees and dogs speckled the lawn with beach chairs and blankets to claim their spots.

Before the service began, people received free coffee and donuts, and kids got free goodie bags. Spanish translation headsets were also available.

Additionally, security was present, a measure church leaders say they felt was necessary to make people feel safe. 

“You know in this day and age, you never know what people might do,” Kevin Shrout, children’s ministry pastor, said. 

Shrout said the goal of the service is to be open to all while sharing the story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

The annual service has drawn large crowds, with church leaders estimating attendance up to 5,000 people in the past. 

And this year was no different. Even with the hot sun blazing down, there was little lawn space left empty and some people even watched from the sidewalk on East Anapamu Street.

For some attendees, this service has been a longtime tradition they look forward to each year. 

“I choose to come here because of the community,” Alex Navarro said. “Everyone just enjoys it and has smiles on their faces.”

He and his family have been attending since the church began its Easter Sunday service at the courthouse. Navarro says he likes seeing the number of attendees grow each year. 

For others, it was their first time celebrating Easter with the church. 

“We’re really happy we get to do Easter with everyone here and have a good time at the courthouse; it’s just a beautiful place to be,” Kirra Petty said. 

Petty and her friend, Mylie Pavelis, joined the church about a year ago, and Sunday marked their first Easter with Calvary Chapel. 

The service began with songs performed by the church’s musicians while people put their hands up and danced in worship. 

Schneider then preached to the crowd, sharing stories and explaining the meaning of Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ before ending the service by inviting people to receive prayer. 

“This is a beautiful celebration we get to have together, right in the center of our city,” he said.