Check out 2011 Easter events in Elgin, Fox Valley

Easter in Elgin will be celebrated with more than just a city egg hunt. For the third year, a play geared toward kids will be performed at The Hemmens and, for the first time, the Jaycees will host a pancake breakfast with the Easter Bunny.

The breakfast will last from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, April 23, in the basement of The Hemmens, 145 Symphony Way, Elgin. There are 300 tickets available for the $7 breakfast; kids younger than 5 eat free.

Tickets must be purchased from city hall before the event, but if they do not sell out, the extras will be available on the morning of the breakfast.

Kim Parsons, treasurer of the Elgin Jaycees and past region director, said the Jaycees started the egg hunt in Elgin in the 1970s. The city took over but the group has gotten involved again in the last few years.

“This time we stepped it up even more by offering to do the pancake breakfast in order to raise funds for the Fourth of July fireworks,” Parsons said.

The first performance of the play “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” will begin at 10 a.m. in The Hemmens, with the second starting at 11:30 a.m.

The egg hunt itself starts at 11:15 a.m. in the old Gail Borden Library lot next to The Hemmens. Separate areas for toddlers, 4- to 6-year-olds and 7- to 10-year-olds will be sectioned off for the hunt. The Elgin Moose Lodge No. 799 will fill $8,000 worth of eggs, with the city of Elgin providing another $15,000 for the event.

Barb Keselica, Elgin's special events coordinator, said the turnout depends on the weather but expects a larger crowd than the few hundred kids that participated last year.

“This year it's in late April instead of early March, so we're thinking we're going to get a really nice day with a really good response,” Keselica said.

The egg hunt and play performances are free, costing Elgin about $6,000 to fund the annual event.

The city asks egg hunters to collect no more than five eggs each and, in an effort to reduce waste, is encouraging families to return the plastic egg shells at the end of the event to be reused next year.

The Easter Bunny will be available for photos in The Hemmens lobby for $1 throughout the morning.

What would Easter be without a good egg hunt?

Perhaps you'd prefer to get up close and personal with the Easter Bunny at a breakfast or brunch.

Grab your basket and flashlight (if necessary), put on your best running shoes and head out to one of these events.

Friday, April 15

Geneva: A Night Owl Egg Hunt for ages 10-14 will feature eggs filled with candy and prizes at 7 p.m. Friday, April 15, at Peck Farm Park Interpretive Center. Participants are asked to bring their own flashlight. This event will be outside rain or shine; dress appropriately. Peck Farm Park is at 4038 Kaneville Road in Geneva. The fee is $5 for Geneva Park District residents and $8 for nonresidents. Call (630) 232-4542 or visit genevaparks.org.Saturday, April 16Geneva: Breakfast with the Easter Bunny will be from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday, April 16, at Stephen D. Persinger Recreation Center, 3507 Kaneville Road, Geneva. Pictures will be available. Children age one and younger get in free, but must register. Highchairs are not available. Cost is $3 and $5 for nonresidents per person. The egg hunt will begin promptly at 10 a.m. New this year, there are two designated egg hunt areas, one for ages 4 and younger, one for ages 5 and older. Preregistration is required for the breakfast; the hunt is free. Another hunt has been scheduled following the egg hunt until 11:30 a.m. Call (630) 232-4542 for details.Batavia: Breakfast with the Bunny will be from 8:30 to 9:45 a.m. Saturday, April 16, at Rotolo Middle School, 101 S. Radiant Road. All ages are welcome. Donuts, juice, milk and coffee will be served. The cost is $4 for residents, $5 for Batavia nonresidents and $6 for other nonresidents. Children ages 2 and younger are free and do not need to register.After breakfast, hop on over to Prairie Path Park for the annual Easter egg hunt. Meet at the pavilion at 9:45 a.m. Kids ages 2-8 will be divided into age groups. Children ages 2-4 must be escorted by an adult. The hunt will begin promptly at 10 a.m. This event is free, but participants are asked to bring a nonperishable food item or paper product to be donated nonperishable food item or paper product to be donated to the Batavia Food Pantry. The Easter egg hunt is supported by the Batavia Lions Club. For details or to register for the breakfast, call (630) 879-5235 or visit bataviaparks.org.St. Charles: From 10 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 16, Pottawatomie Park will be filled with children searching for eggs. The free event is for ages 2-9. Arrive 15 minutes early at the entrance to River View Miniathe Batavia Lions Club. For details or to register for the breakfast, call (630) 879-5235 or visit bataviaparks.org.St. Charles: From 10 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 16, Pottawatomie Park will be filled with children searching for eggs. The free event is for ages 2-9. Arrive 15 minutes early at the entrance to River View Miniature Golf and bring your own basket. Visit stcparks.org for details.Sugar Grove: An Easter egg hunt will begin at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, April 16, at Volunteer Park. Bring a camera and a basket. At 2:10 p.m., a doggy egg hunt #8212; in which dogs can hunt for eggs #8212; will be held in the same spot. Only one handler per dog.Aurora: The Easter Bunny will make an early appearance this year at the Prisco Community Center for the Fox Valley Park District's annual Bunny Brunch set for 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 16. The event will include a brunch buffet, egg hunt, music, arts, crafts and other children's activities. Egg hunts will be conducted in stages, allowing children to participate in similar age groups. Admission for the brunch is $8 for resident children, $10 nonresident, $9 for adults and $12 nonresidents. Registration deadline is today, April 14. The Prisco Community Center is at 150 W. Illinois Ave. in Aurora. Call (630) 859-8606 or visit foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.Mooseheart: From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 16, Mooseheart will hold a free community Easter egg hunt on its campus, located on Route 31 south of Batavia. There will be a hot dog lunch, craft activities, farm animals to pet, and a visit by the Easter Bunny. The Easter egg hunt is open to toddlers to age 10. For details, visit mooseheart.org.Friday, April 15Dundee Township: A flashlight egg hunt for ages 8-12 will begin at 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 15. Children are invited to decorate the eggs at 8 p.m. The hunt will be at Liberty Elementary School, Miller and Huntley roads in Carpentersville. Admission is $10 for residents, $12 for nonresidents. Participants must bring their own flashlights and fresh batteries. Call (847) 428-7131.South Elgin: The village will hold an adaptive egg hunt for children ages 12 and younger with special needs and their families starting at 5 p.m. at Kenyon Woods Middle School. The free event will feature an indoor maze. The Easter Bunny will be on hand for photos. For registration details, visit fvsra.org.Saturday, April 16Huntley: Tom's Farm Market will hold Easter egg hunts at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 16. Cost is $5. The Easter Bunny will be on hand to help in the search. For details, visit tomsfarmmarket.com.In addition to the events in Elgin, there are many other Easter activities and egg hunts scheduled in the Fox Valley.Algonquin: The village will hold its annual egg hunt at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 16, at Presidential Park, 700 Highland Ave. Free; no registration. For ages 12 and younger. For details, visit algonquin.org.Dundee Township: On Saturday, April 16, an egg hunt for children ages 2-7 will be held at Randall Oaks Park along Randall Road. The hunt will begin at 10 a.m. Admission is $7 for Dundee Township residents, $10 for nonresidents. Call (847) 428-7131. Lake in the Hills: Starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 16, children ages 8 and younger will participate in collecting candy-filled eggs at Sunset Park. Bring a basket. The Easter Bunny will be available for taking pictures and prizes will be raffled. For details, visit lith.org.Saturday, April 23Cary: Starting at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 23, Holy Cross Lutheran Church will hold an Easter egg hunt and Bunny Hop-A-Thon for children in first to fourth grades. The church is at 2107 Three Oaks Road. Visit holycrosscary.org for details.South Elgin: The village will hold an egg hunt that will begin at noon sharp Saturday, April 23, at Kenyon Woods, across from South Elgin High School. The bunny arrives at 10:30 a.m. for photos. The event is free; no registration is required. Bring your own basket. 22882664Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com ¬ David Kimpel, 5, of Lake in the Hills, dons his basket while waiting for the Easter egg hunt at Golf Club of Illinois in Algonquin to start on Saturday, March 27. 14,000 plastic eggs were up for grabs at the event which drew a large crowd. 21661626duneggs_1ne040806RW photo0496929 Rick West fox //// 14-month-old Lily Ritz of Lily Lake is very happy with her finds during Saturday's egg hunt at at Randall Oaks Park in West Dundee. 40002688Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com ¬ Easter basket? Check. Bunny ears? Check. Flashlight?! Annika and Zoe Kippley, 4, twins from Batavia, wait anxiously for the Batavia Easter egg hunt by flashlight to start at Prairie Path Park on Friday, March 19. Kids aged 2-8 were let loose at 7:30 to hunt down their eggs. 32162136John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com ¬ 18-month-old Samantha carries a basket as big as she can handle during an egg hunt Sunday at Faith Baptist Church at Mill Creek in Geneva. She was with her dad Tom Sipes of Geneva.