For the City of Plant City’s Recreation and Parks department, Easter is often the end game.
For the last 28 years, the department has been holding the City-Wide Easter Egg Hunt. This year’s hunt will kick off at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 15, at the Otis M. Andrews Sport Complex.
It’s the city’s largest annual youth event, Recreation Assistant Program Director Tim Hanlon said.
“It’s a lot of work, logistically, to make it happen,” Hanlon said.
Hanlon has helmed the event’s organization for five years. And while the event’s main draw, the morning egg hunt, has changed little over the years, Hanlon said there have been other minor tweaks to enhance the event.
Children usually show up to the event around the 10 a.m. start time or a littler earlier. A magic show kicks off the day. About 20 to 30 minutes later, the hunt begins.
There are four hunt areas, separated for different ages groups for children 3 to 11 years old. Thousands of candy or toy-filled eggs are spread throughout the four “nests.” Each nest contains only two golden eggs, which can be redeemed for larger prizes.
Hanlon said the egg hunt is usually over quickly, but there’s still hours of entertainment available after. That, he said, is where the real fine-tuning takes place.
The hunt itself is free, but the events after will cost some “bunny dollars,” which are available for purchase during the event. One recent tweak, Hanlon said, was adding a second tent to pay for bunny dollars.
Kids under 12 get a free hot dog and drink during the event. There’s even been subtle changes there.
“We used to do fountain drinks at the concession stand,” Hanlon said. “It was causing a back up in the line. Now, we do can drinks.”
The department has always played with events offered. Previous years included dog and disc shows and caricature stations. This year, there will be airbrushing, inflatable spacewalks, photos with the Easter Bunny, trackless trains and more, all available for bunny dollars.
“Five years is a long time,” Hanlon said. “But in the grand scheme of things, it’s not for how long it’s been. We still are always trying to tweak things from year to year to make things smoother … things that we see that need to be adjusted so things run smoother.”
Hanlon said the event draws more than 1,000 kids to the park every year. Participants are required to bring their own baskets.
Contact Daniel Figueroa IV at dfigueroa@plantcityobserver.com