Where you can find an Easter egg hunt in the Tri-City area
If you have kids, you probably already know this is the weekend for Easter egg hunts throughout the Fox Valley.
A few tips: These egg hunts usually start on time, so arrive early. Bring your own basket and wear shoes that are OK to get muddy.
On your mark, get set, go!
Aurora
Join an all-ages egg hunt from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 24, in downtown Aurora. Find eggs on Stolp Island, visit participating businesses and museums, ride the trolley, make crafts, and take part in a scavenger hunt.
A stamped egg hunt bag is required at all egg hunt locations. For the outdoor egg hunts, grab a free bag at the welcome table at Endiro Coffee's, 29 W. New York St., lower level, or at the following locations: Culture Stock, 43 E. Galena Blvd. and Aurora Regional Fire Museum, 53 N. Broadway.
Other activities include: chalk art and bubbles at Millennium Plaza on Stolp Avenue and trolley rides. Bring your camera for a visit with the Easter Bunny, or find golden eggs and trade them in for a prize.
The outdoor egg hunt for ages 5 or younger will be at 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. at Water Street Mall. The outdoor egg hunt for ages 6 to 12 will be at 2 p.m. at Aurora Regional Fire Museum.
An indoor scavenger egg hunt for ages 6 to 12 will be from 1 to 3 p.m. at SciTech Hands-on Museum, 18 W. Benton St.
An all-ages indoor scavenger egg hunt will be from 1 to 3 p.m. at Santori Public Library, 101 S. River St.
Eggs will be "hidden" throughout downtown during the event for all ages to find. Please limit eggs to one dozen per participant.
Visit the welcome table at Endiro Coffee, 29 W. New York St., for an egg hunt bag and a map of activities.
Visit www.auroradowntown.org/egg-hunt-on-the-island-2/.
• Register now for the Fox Valley Park District special egg hunts. For information on registration, visit www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.
Kids, ages 3 or older, can crawl, bounce, jump, run and duck their way through the Egg-streme Egg Hunt" obstacles from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 25, at the Vaughan Athletic Center in Aurora. There will be five age groups with appropriate obstacles for each age. Kids will compete for fun and collect eggs along the way. There also will be a free parent bracket so you can join the fun and let your little ones cheer you on.
Grab your flashlight and get ready to party at Blackberry Farm in Aurora from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 29. Enjoy hayrides, dancing, games and a flashlight egg hunt with prizes. Dinner will be provided. Don't forget your flashlight.
An "Illuminating Eggstravaganza" will be from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Friday, March 30, at Lippold Outdoor Recreation Center in Aurora. Spring is when animals lay their eggs. Kids, ages 5 and up, can find out the different types of eggs one can find in the spring and then join a nighttime glow-in-the-dark egg hunt. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Cost is $10 or $15 for nonresidents.
Batavia
• Grab your Easter baskets and hop on over to the Batavia Park District's free Easter egg hunt at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at West Main Community Park, 40W101 W. Main St. Staff will divide kids into age groups at 9:45 a.m. and the hunt will begin promptly at 10 a.m. Be sure to be on the lookout for special prize eggs in each age section to win some Easter goody baskets. Families are encouraged to come early to take a photograph with the Easter Bunny.
In the spirit of the event, bring a nonperishable food item or paper product to be donated to the Batavia Food Pantry. The Easter egg hunt will be held rain or shine. For details, call (630) 879-5235 or visit www.bataviaparks.org.
• Why let your four-legged friend miss out on the Easter fun? Dogs can hunt for treat-filled eggs at the seventh annual Doggie Egg Hunt at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Bark Park at West Main Community Park. Special prize eggs will be hidden throughout the Bark Park as well.
Registration for the Doggie Egg Hunt will begin on-site at 11 a.m. and owners are invited to come early or stick around afterward to browse a variety of pet-friendly booths. The cost is $10 per dog and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Anderson Animal Shelter. Representatives from the shelter will be on hand to answer questions, and adoptable dogs will be on-site, depending on weather and availability.
Dogs must be leashed during the event, but owners are welcome to stick around after the event to let their dog run off leash in the three-acre, fenced-in Bark Park. Don't forget to bring a basket for all your goodies.
For details, call (630) 879-5235 or visit www.bataviaparks.org.
• Immanuel Lutheran Church and School, 950 Hart Road in Batavia, will share the true meaning of Easter with children in preschool through third grade at the annual Easter egg hunt at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 24. After enjoying an engaging story of the first Easter morning, children enjoy hunting throughout the campus for plastic Easter eggs filled with candy and other treasures. Visit www.immanuelbatavia.org.
Elgin
Nick's Pizza & Pub locations in Elgin and Crystal Lake will offer "Easter Fun" on Saturday and Sunday, March 24-25. Enjoy the Egg Scavenger Hunt, Easter crafts, and photos with the bunny. Bring your camera. You also get a special egg with candy from the bunny.
Check-in times are 11, 11:30 a.m. and noon at the restaurants: 990 S. Randall Road in Elgin and 856 Pyott Road in Crystal Lake.
Tickets are $12 per child; it includes one kid's meal.
Space is limited so reserve your tickets now. Adults do not need to buy tickets. All other food and beverages can be ordered off the dine-in menu during the event. Note, ticket price does not include gratuity.
To sign up at either location, visit www.nickspizzapub.com/upcoming-events-3/. For questions, email yuliamillernickspizza@gmail.com.
Elburn
The Elburn Lions Club will host its annual Easter egg hunt from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at the park, 500 Filmore St. The free egg hunt for kids, age 10 or younger, begins at 10:30 a.m., with registration at 10 a.m. Bring your basket and join the Easter Bunny for photos, hugs and fun. There will be free Easter baskets, donated by the Elburn Jewel-Osco while supplies last. There will be doughnuts, coffee, hot chocolate, and orange juice available. Visit www.facebook.com/elburnlions.
Geneva
• Join Geneva Park District for the "Egg-Mazing Race and Night Egg Hunt" for teens ages 10-16 at Wheeler Park, off Route 31 in Geneva. It will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 23, with check-in at 5 p.m.
Preregistration is recommended; cost is $5 or $8 for nonresidents. Register by Thursday, March 22. On-site/day of registration is $10 or $15 for nonresidents.
Get your friends together and create teams of four. Teams will complete various physical and mental challenges in order to finish the Egg-Mazing Race. Once your team has completed all the challenges, you must find the bunny hiding somewhere in the park.
Be one of the first teams to complete the Egg-Mazing Race and win fabulous prizes, including gift certificates to local businesses.
After completing the Egg-Mazing Race, everyone will go head-to-head in a nighttime egg hunt. Collect as many eggs as possible filled with various prizes and candy.
Please note: Participants must bring his/her own flashlight and bag for collecting eggs. QR codes will be used to navigate the race. This event is held rain or shine, so please dress appropriately for the weather. Visit www.genevaparks.org/special-events/egg-mazing-race/.
Adult volunteers needed. Are you interested in being a team captain? We are looking for parent volunteers. Email Becky Harling at bharling@genevaparks.com. For information, call (630) 232-4542.
• The Geneva Park District will host a free Egg Hunt at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 24, at the Stephen D. Persinger Recreation Center, 3507 Kaneville Road in Geneva. Over 5,000 eggs will be scattered across the soccer fields for children to collect. There will be two designated egg hunt areas: one for children ages 4 or younger, and one for ages 5 or older. No registration is necessary, just come out for some springtime fun. Plus, fuel up before or after the hunt at the annual Bunny Breakfast. Advance registration is required for the breakfast, as space is limited. Don't be late. The egg hunt begins promptly at 10 a.m., rain or shine. Arrive early as parking is limited. Remember to dress appropriately for the weather. The egg hunt is sponsored by Geneva Bank & Trust. Visit www.genevaparks.org.
Mooseheart
Nearly 20,000 eggs and other Easter-related goodies will be collected from Mooseheart's artificial turf football field in mere minutes at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 24, when the eighth annual Easter egg hunt takes place.
Gates open at 10 a.m. prior to the 11 a.m. egg hunt, which is open to children up to 8 years of age. There will be separate hunts for children ages 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8. Each year, 4,000 local children participate in the free hunt, and then enjoy the many activities Mooseheart organizes, which are open until 1 p.m. Activities take place in and adjacent to the campus' Field House, which is attached to the football stadium. Among those activities are pony rides, a petting zoo, bounce houses, arts and crafts and face painting. The Easter Bunny will be on-hand for photos. For more information, call (630) 906-3601 or visit www.mooseheart.org.
Mooseheart is between North Aurora and Batavia, two miles north of I-88 on Route 31.
Maple Park
The Maple Park Public Library will host its annual Easter egg hunt on Saturday, March 24, outside the library, 302 Willow St. It will be held rain or shine. The hunt for kids up to age 3 will start at noon, at 12:05 p.m. for ages 4-6, and 12:10 p.m. for ages 7 or older. The Easter Bunny will be available for pictures from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring your cameras. The library will accept monetary donations to help offset the costs. Registration is not required. Visit www.facebook.com/MapleParkPublicLibrary/.
South Elgin
The village of South Elgin will hold its Spring Egg Hunt on Saturday, March 31, at Kenyon Woods, off Raymond Street. The hunt will begin at noon sharp. Kids will need to bring a basket and parents. Bring your camera for Kodak moments. There will specific areas set up for specific age groups in an effort to make the event fun for everyone. Support the South Elgin Food Pantry by bringing canned food to this special event. Visit www.southelgin.com.
St. Charles
The St. Charles Park District will host a Doggie Egg Hunt from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 24, at James O. Breen Community Park, Campton Hills and Peck roads.
Wag on over for a diggity dog good time. And the hunt is on for eggs filled with treats and prizes. When your dog touches one of the plastic eggs with their nose, into your basket it goes. Dogs must be leashed at all times. The hunt begins promptly at 2 p.m.
It is an opportunity for you and your pet to get a picture with the Easter Bunny. Several pet-friendly vendors will be on site. All dogs must be kept on a non-retractable leash (maximum 6 ft.), be current on all vaccinations and visibly wear tags. Advance registration is requested by Friday, March 23. Cost is $4 per dog in advance or $7 on-site.
Visit www.stcparks.org.
Sugar Grove
The Sugar Grove Park District will host an Easter egg hunt for kids and dogs from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. Saturday, March 24, in Volunteer Park, off 61 S. Main St. It will be held rain or shine. Kids, ages 1 to 10, can join in the free egg hunt and search for more than 4,000 eggs. Don't forget your camera and your basket to collect eggs. The egg hunts will begin with dogs at 1:15 p.m., kids ages 1 to 3 at 1:30 p.m., ages 4 to 5 at 1:40 p.m., ages 6 to 7 at 1:50 p.m. and ages 8 to 10 at 2 p.m. Visit sgarks.org.