Easter weekend will bring a reenactment to the Washington waterfront, when local churches host an Easter sunrise service for the entire community.

The sunrise service, originally planned to take place at Havens Gardens, is now scheduled for Festival Park on Sunday at 7 a.m.

Christians and churches across the world will host sunrise services, an Easter tradition, as acknowledgment of Christ’s resurrection on the morning of the third day after his crucifixion, according to Jim Pegan, associate pastor at First United Methodist Church.

“He had risen from the dead,” Pegan said. “That is the good news — that he has defeated death. So it’s really a reenactment of coming to meet the risen Jesus early in the morning and coming to grips with the fact that he’s not dead, and that changes everything in this world.”

Pegan said this year will be his first Easter in Beaufort County, but the service represents a former partnership among Washington churches. On Sunday, five churches will participate in the sunrise service: First United Methodist, First Church of Christ, Grace Lutheran, First Presbyterian and First Baptist churches. Each year, a different church takes the reins in planning and coordinating the event, Pegan said.

This year’s service will include music from First Church of Christ’s praise team, as well as several readings and prayers by members of Grace Lutheran and First Baptist, according to Pegan.

Pegan will also provide a message, entitled “Hidden in Plain Sight,” about the message an angel gave to Mary when she came to look for Jesus’ body in the tomb.

“He said, ‘Why are you looking for the living among the dead? You’re not going to find Jesus in that tomb.’ He’s alive and the Easter story is very public. Jesus wasn’t secretly risen. He showed up all over the place,” Pegan said.

The public is invited to attend Sunday’s sunrise service and bring a chair or blanket to sit on.

Festival Park is located on Water Street in downtown Washington next to the North Carolina Estuarium. In the event of inclement weather, the service will be moved to First Baptist Church, at the corner of East Main and North Harvey streets.