Some egg hunts and other Easter events are back — safely — this year. Here’s a list.
In 2020, even the Easter Bunny was under stay-at-home orders.
For 2021, with vaccination against COVID-19 on the rise and the spread of illness trending down, Easter — the Christian church’s commemoration of Jesus’ death and resurrection — should look a little more normal.
Churches are holding services, whether online or in person, and there will be dozens of egg hunts and bunny photo ops across the Triangle leading up to Easter Sunday on April 4. Group sizes may still be metered to stay within the state’s gathering limits, but there should be space for families to socially distance in their search for elliptical treasures.
Here’s a list of some of the events planned by churches, businesses and parks and recreation departments that are open to the public. Some are free, others charge a fee, and many require reservations, so you’d better hop to it.
▪ Spring Haven Farm in Chapel Hill is offering Egg Hunts with Goats through April 4. Children 3 and under get in free; all others are $13.50 and advance tickets are required.
▪ The NC Down Syndrome Alliance will surprise your family — or someone else you love — with a scattering of candy-and-toy-filled eggs in the yard to be discovered on Easter morning. “Egg My Yard” is a fundraiser for the non-profit, and packages are available for $50, $75 and $100.
▪ Little Doodles Play Cafe in Raleigh still has openings for its Easter Craft Day on March 27. Advance Tickets are required and start at $12 for the first child and adult.
▪ Chatham County Parks and Recreation will offer residents a Hunt at Home Easter kit, which can be picked up on March 27 in a drive-through event at the county’s Agriculture and Conference Center in Pittsboro. Each child will get a bag of 10 eggs, a springtime craft, some bubbles and a chance to wave at the Easter Bunny.
▪ Greater Heights United Methodist Church will hold a children’s Easter event at Clayton Community Park on Amelia Church Road on March 27 with games, crafts, face-painting and an egg hunt. The free event runs from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
▪ Durham Parks and Recreation will hold a series of free egg hunts for children 12 and under at the Leigh Farm Park on March 27. Registration is required.
▪ The Town of Morrisville offers families the choice of conducting an on-site egg hunt at Cedar Fork District Park on March 27 or picking up an egg hunt kit to take home. Registration is required either way.
▪ Scavenger hunts are a pandemic update to Easter egg hunts, and several are planned, including at Dorothea Dix Park on March 27, Pullen Park on March 27, and in Selma on April 3.
▪ Raleigh Parks also has ongoing scavenger hunts planned through April 5 at Abbott’s Creek Community Center, Biltmore Hills Community Center, Pullen Community Center and Tarboro Road Community Center. Families follow clues to search for wooden eggs hidden in the park, count the eggs and submit the answer online for a chance to win a prize.
▪ On March 27, Abbotts Creek Community Center also will offer egg hunt kits to families from 10 a.m. to noon, as supplies last.
▪ The New Hope Valley Railway will open its 2021 season with Easter train rides and still has a few seats available for March 29. Tickets are required and are $14 for all ages.
▪ Happy Easter at Old Mill Farm in Durham offers 90-minute stays with egg hunts and Easter Bunny sightings April 1 through April 4. Tickets are required and begin at $15.
▪ Echo Church will hold an egg hunt and celebration at the church on Ten Ten Road in Raleigh on April 3 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There is no charge but please register in advance through Facebook.
▪ Glory of God Christian Fellowship and Athens Drive Baptist Church in Raleigh will hold a Resurrection Egg Hunt along with games and crafts on April 3. Children will visit Easter “stations.”
▪ Green Level Baptist Church will hold three Easter egg hunts on April 3. Tickets are free but required.
▪ CandyLand in the Garden, on Main Street in Clayton, will hold its Kids’ Easter Celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 3 with the Easter Bunny, live chicks and an egg hunt.
▪ The Town of Wake Forest parks department will hold an Egg Drop Car Hop on April 3. Park staff will hand out bags with Easter eggs, crafts and trinkets geared to children 11 and under. The events will be at Joyner Park and Flaherty Park, and will be free but parents must register for a time slot and sign up separately for each child. The Easter Bunny will appear at both places.
▪ United Skates of America in Raleigh will hold an Easter Sunday Skate on April 4 that includes pizza and an egg hunt. Tickets are $15 and must be purchased in advance.
▪ Mordecai Historic Park is offering free scavenger hunts in the park and an egg hunt kit to take home. The kits are available at the visitor center through April 3. The park is closed on Easter Sunday but “scavengers” can still hunt in the park that day.
This story was originally published March 26, 2021 at 11:13 AM with the headline "Some egg hunts and other Easter events are back — safely — this year. Here’s a list.."
