Now there are quite a few family egg hunts planned for Easter weekend, but not as many of the big public egg hunts as there used to be. I decided to find as many as I could and share my research.
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There is a big community egg hunt sign by Adkins Funeral Home, 7055 Dayton-Springfield Road near Enon. This Easter egg hunt will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday April 15, the day before Easter.
“Be sure to get there early,” said Mark Decker, Pastor of Crosswalk Worship Center, the event’s sponsor.
Egg hunters are divided by age groups and have their own designated egg searching area. They all start at exactly the same time and, as he explained, it all can be over in five minutes.
Egg hunters will also want to get there early to register for drawings for $10 Wal-Mart gift cards. The drawings will be held immediately after the hunt.
“This coming Thursday night we will meet to fill the eggs with candy,” Decker said.
“Anyone who wants to help stuff can eat all the candy they want,” he said. “You don’t muzzle the ox that treads the grain.”
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He was quoting Deuteronomy 25:4, I learned, and that sounds like a good plan to me. Volunteers should be free to snack.
On the same day, Saturday April 15, another big community egg hunt is planned at the Medway Church, 2550 S. Dayton-Lakeview.
Magic shows are planned for 10:20 and 11:20 a.m. but the big event is the community egg hunt at 11 a.m., according to their website.
The community is invited to this event and egg hunters ages 10 and younger are asked to bring their own baskets.
More than 1,500 participants are expected this year. The church has prepared 20,000 eggs with candy and prizes, according to their Facebook page.
Something tells me that it might be wise to be early for this one too.
Young’s Jersey Dairy will be holding its huge egg hunt beginning at 2 p.m. Easter Sunday. There are different start times for different ages. Again, getting there early seems like a good plan. I noticed that parking lots have already been marked out.
This egg hunt is unique because there are 7,000 real Easter eggs. That is right. Young’s will be coloring 7000 real hard boiled eggs for this event. According to its website, the hunt will be held “rain (or snow) or shine.”
In New Carlisle, also on Easter afternoon, Honey Creek Presbyterian Church, 212 W. Jefferson St. will have an egg hunt. Their hunt will begin at 1 p.m.
“We’ve never done it on Sunday before, ” said Rev. Dr. Shelly Wiley, who explained that the hunt will be divided into the two age groups.
Special Holy Week and Easter services are also planned at most of our local churches. I wish I had room to list them all. Be sure to check their websites or call the offices to get the schedules.
However, two combined special worship services need to be pointed out.
A joint Good Friday Service for the Church of the Brethren, Honey Creek Presbyterian and the United Methodist Church will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, April 14 at the New Carlisle First Methodist Church, 220 South Main St. in New Carlisle. Choirs from all these churches will combine for three special anthems. The community is invited.
On Easter morning, the Enon Community Sunrise Service will begin at 7 a.m. at the Gazebo in Settlers Park in the heart of Enon.
Sponsored by the Enon Ministerial Association, pastors from the community will lead a traditional sunrise service complete with the traditional hymns. Guests should be sure to dress warm and casual for this event which can be chilly. Some folks have brought lawn chairs and blankets in the past.
This service is broadcast on a local FM transmitter so folks can watch from their cars if it is particularly cold. The pastors will be in the gazebo leading the service regardless of the weather
“We are the only ones who get cold,” said Pastor Decker. “Everyone else is warm in their car. Rain or Shine. Sun or snow.”
I hope every person who reads this will find the perfect way to spend this upcoming holiday.
Happy Easter.
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