It was all over in about seven minutes.
Hundreds of kids, from Niagara-on-the-Lake and beyond, hit the fields at the community centre on Saturday to hunt for chocolate Easter eggs — about 60 kilograms (or 10,000) of them.
They didn’t leave much behind.
The hunt is a NOTL tradition put on by the Kinsmen Club, now joined with Niagara Nursery School’s popular Bunny Trail celebration and fundraiser.
This year the school raised just over $7,800 through ticket sales, sponsorships and its bake sale.
Candice Penny, executive director of Niagara Nursery School, said there was a “great turnout.”
“The sun’s shining, it’s been awesome,” she said, just after the hunt ended.
“The kids are very determined and they do a great job each year.”
The field was pretty soggy after some heavy rain the day before, but “the Kinsmen were great and marked out any really kind of mucky parts on the grass,” Penny said.
“And thankfully the rain stopped just in time for most things to dry out.”
The hunt was at 10 a.m. sharp, but lots of people showed up right at 9 a.m. for the start of the Bunny Trail activities, which included musical instruments, crafts, a bake sale, a NOTL fire truck and Easter games.
“We’re just so grateful for the continued support from our sponsors — our community sponsors, the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake for helping us with set up, as well as all the community coming out each and every year,” she said.
Conor MacNeill, whose son Declan, 10, won a prize for finding one of three specially marked golden eggs, said it was a “super exciting” morning for the kids.
“It’s always great to get out here. (Declan) loves it. It’s nice way to spend the morning and see friends from class,” he said.
MacNeill used to go to the Kinsmen egg hunt when he was little, too.
“I grew up in Niagara-on-the-Lake and I remember coming down to it when it was at Simcoe Park,” he said.
He and his son go to the egg hunt every year, after which they spend some time looking for realtor Stefan Regier’s golden egg — another NOTL Easter tradition.
