When I planned my trip to San Francisco in early March, I hadn’t even considered the fact that I’d be visiting during Easter! I’m not in any way religious, but my family has always acknowledged the holiday just as we do many others–with copious amounts of food, champagne, and most importantly, chocolate.
Naturally, I wanted my Easter in San Francisco to go down in much the same manner, and I just knew there was bound to be some wacky San Francisco twist.
My answer arrived the night before in the form of a text from my friend Allison. She mentioned she’d be heading to Dolores Park for Hunky Jesus.
I didn’t know what Hunky Jesus meant at the time, and I didn’t much care. We were in.
The day started with coffee from Ritual Coffee Roasters in Hayes Valley, where I’d been staying with an old friend from Thailand. Friends offering to put me up for a few days is one of the things I love most about San Francisco; when they show me all of their favorite spots, it’s just icing on the cake.
We sat in Patricia’s Green as we caffeinated, admiring the former-Burning-Man-installation-turned-permanent-SF-fixture while finalizing our brunch plans. It would be one of my final opportunities to see some of my nearest and dearest. It was Sunday–Easter Sunday, at that–and the place we were headed offered bottomless mimosas. The day was shaping up quite nicely and it was barely 10 am. 
My friend Sonia had generously taken the reigns on brunch planning and had already secured a table for 6 at The Pink Elephant in SoMa when three more of us–myself and my two Thailand pals–arrived in a Lyft. The final two trickled in a few minutes later just as our guacamole appetizer was arriving at the table.
This place was dimly lit, blasting R&B over the speakers, and overflowing with young people kicking off their own version of Sunday Funday. Their bottomless mimosa setup was unconventional; it required participants to head to the self-service bar to pour their own champagne before adorning it with any flavor of fruit juice their hearts desired.
Standard orange? You got it. Tropical guava? Covered. A-little-bit-out-there jalapeño or aloe vera? Sorted. Mixed flavors? Go for it! The choices were wild and varied, although at times the process felt reminiscent of college frat parties, sticky floor included. But we didn’t mind; the coconut was actually quite tasty.
Thrillist even named it one of the best boozy brunches in SF; full list here.
Back at the table, our food, also somewhat unconventional, had arrived. Chicken and churros. Plantains and fried eggs. Classic eggs Benny. We had all our bases covered.
I wouldn’t go so far as to call it amazing, but it served our purposes and we all left satisfied and ready to take on Hunky Jesus.
Now that we’re back on the topic of Jesus and his hunkiness, allow me to explain. The Hunky Jesus contest is an annual institution held every Easter Sunday by a group called The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (“the Sisters” or SPI for short). Founded by a small group of gay men in the late 70s, the SPI used “drag and religious imagery to call attention to sexual intolerance” and “high camp to draw attention to social conflicts and problems in [San Francisco’s] Castro District.”
I’m also a fan of this excerpt from the group’s Wiki page:
“The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence is a leading-edge Order of queer nuns. Since our first appearance in San Francisco on Easter Sunday, 1979, the Sisters have devoted ourselves to community service, ministry, and outreach to those on the edges, and to promoting human rights, respect for diversity and spiritual enlightenment. We believe all people have a right to express their unique joy and beauty and we use humor and irreverent wit to expose the forces of bigotry, complacency, and guilt that chain the human spirit.”
So, the tradition of Hunky Jesus has roots in the Castro District and times of conflict with a purpose of promoting tolerance and human rights. The contest is now in its 37th year, with man-bunned, scantily-clad men coming out in full force (no pun intended) vying for the crown of thorns. The event raises money for SPI, with nuns meandering through the crowd collecting donations as the antics take place on stage. It has recently been moved to Golden Gate Park from its original location at Dolores Park due to renovations. 
Following brunch, our group had been whittled down to just four. Unfortunately, we arrived a little late to the party and missed out on much of the fun onstage. Veteran attendees lamented the new location, saying Dolores had been ideal due to its generous slope, giving everyone a great view of the stage. It was an uphill battle this year–the crowd was thick and we were forced to take a spot toward the back, but we made the best of the situation anyway.
Armed with more champagne and portable plastic flutes (way to think ahead, Allison!) we took in the commotion around us.
We shared some beers with some friends of friends, cooed at the army of small dogs scampering around our feet, marveled at the revelry taking place all around us, and enjoyed a sunny, if not a little windy, Easter Sunday in the park.
We even spotted one of the contest finalists making rounds, greeting his fans and worshippers admirers. Gracious as ever, just as Jesus would have been. Probably.
Do yourself a favor and check out these portraits of the hunks from 2015, or these photos from 2016.
And while I never got my Easter chocolate per tradition, I was able to have my cake and eat it, too. Literally. When a pair of party-goers wandered by with a cake adorned with the likeness of Justin Timberlake (which they had dubbed “Justin Timbercake”), I was politely informed I could only take a photo if I ate a piece, too. I kindly obliged.
It was the most San Francisco Easter I could have imagined.
When the weather took a turn for the cold, our group piled into a car to head back to Hayes Valley where we whipped up a little home-cooked feast that will forever be remembered as “Feaster.”
I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend this festive day–surrounded by good friends, food, drinks, and a hunk in heels named Jesus.
Have you ever celebrated a holiday in an unexpected way?
