Fluffy fun ready to hatch for Saturday’s Easter Egg Hunt

April 1, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Brock Weir

Kids across Aurora are counting down the last few days before they can test out their sleuthing skills for chocolatey treats left for them by the Easter Bunny – but local youngsters can get a head start on Saturday as the friendly rabbit joins forces with the Town of Aurora for the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Starting Saturday at 9.30 a.m., young ticket-holders, accompanied by their parents, will be able to fan out behind the Aurora Seniors’ Centre not only to meet the Easter Bunny – and the eggs he’s cunningly hidden around the area – but also meet the MINIONS, a crew of baby chicks that just hatched this week, make cool crafts, and enjoy a pancake breakfast.

“There are too many things I am looking forward to,” says Shelley Ware, Special Events Coordinator for the Town of Aurora, who has been working closely with the Bunny to get everything ready for the big day. “We’re going to have the baby chicks and a velveteen bunny, but I also love seeing the look in the kids’ eyes when they finally figure out what an egg hunt is. For a lot of them, it is their first time. There is so much innocence in the event attendees and those moments are incredible.”

Ms. Ware is also looking forward to a number of firsts that will highlight this year’s Egg Hunt, not only will the MINONS be on hand fresh from the film Despicable Me 2, along with hopping bunnies and newborn chicks, but this year Petch House will host a series of arts and crafts opportunities.
Restored by Council and reconstructed behind the Aurora Seniors’ Centre, the historic log cabin will throw open its doors to crafts ranging from bunny ears to baskets.

“With Petch House being here, out of all our events, I think the Easter Egg Hunt has had the most changes and evolved the most from its original days being out by the Aurora Family Leisure Complex, Sheppard’s Bush for one year, and then over at the Seniors’ Centre,” says Ms. Ware. “Being able to move the crafts out to Petch House, the entire event is going to be stretched out much further. It is always a very packed event because one Easter Egger always comes with two parents and four grandparents – or, as I like to call them, the paparazzi with the kids. I think the flow is going to be so much nicer.”

With Petch House hosting the crafts, the craft area inside the Seniors’ Centre will be turned over to face painting, bunnies and the chicks. In the main hall, the Optimist Club of Aurora will be whipping up a pancake breakfast – an Easter tradition that remains open to the entire community – and outside there will be at least 11 Easter-themed activities for the whole family to enjoy, including A Minute to Win It, Bunny Bowling and a “Hopstacle” course.

“This really is a wide, broad community event,” says Ms. Ware. “It is a pretty special event for families not to miss.”

Tickets for this year’s Easter Egg Hunt are still available and are on sale for $5 per child at the Aurora Family Leisure Complex and the Stronach Aurora Recreation Complex. The “paparazzi” are free.