EASTER EGG HUNTING
Clare Van Loon
Kaylie Reiss’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she described some of the high points of last year’s Easter Egg Hunt Extravaganza. “It was really fun because all ages could do the Easter Egg Hunt and there’s games. There’s the Easter Egg Bunny – kids took pictures. It was just for little kids, too – and big kids,” she told me in
an interview at McKinley Elementary School,
where she is a student in Mr. Whitfield’s fourth grade class.
Joni Mena, of the Downtown Redlands Business Association, agrees that this is an “event for all ages, because even the senior citizens enjoy watching the children and activities going on.” She said that the Easter Egg Hunt Extravaganza “has always been quite a success.”
At last year’s event children could make Easter baskets and participate in relay races and a cupcake walk. Erin Sanborn, Special Programs Coordinator with the Redlands Police Dept. Recreation Bureau, points out, “Each year has been different. In the past we’ve had an art fair and sometimes the event was held in a park. However, for the last four years it has been held in downtown Redlands on State Street.”
This year’s Extravaganza, Redlands’ eleventh, will take place on Saturday, April 11 starting at 9 a.m. Activities in Ed Hales Park will be followed by the arrival of the very popular Easter Bunny at 9:45 a.m.
The Easter Egg Hunt will commence at ten o’clock, with separate hunts for varied age groups. When asked about her favorite part of the Extravaganza, Kaylie replied, “Probably the Easter Egg Hunt. Police officers would hide eggs (beforehand) wherever they wanted and they would blow a whistle and all the kids would start running and try to get as many eggs as they can.” The plastic eggs contained either candy or a gold ticket, one per each age group, that can be redeemed for a prize. The lucky finder of the
ticket wins an Easter basket filled with candy and toys.
In addition, says Sanborn, “We also provide some games, like a bunny hop race and ring toss.”
Besides providing a community event for all ages, the Extravaganza has a serious purpose, too. Sanborn stated that the Recreation Bureau and DRBA want “to bring the Redlands Community to the downtown area.” Mena agrees, adding that, “Shoppers are the key.”
The event is free, and will be held regardless of the weather.
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