It won’t be long until the Easter bunny hops through Bryan County, leaving lots of eggs, prizes and more for hunting in various locations.
Easter egg hunts in Bryan County will begin March 23 at Consumed Church in Richmond Hill and culminate March 30 with the annual events in both Pembroke and Richmond Hill.
EPIC Easter Egg Hunt at Consumed Church in Richmond Hill will kickoff the egg-hunting season at 10 a.m. March 23. The free event is at the church located at 388 Longwood Drive.
According to Kelly Powell with the church, the event will include 10,000 Easter eggs for hunting and inflatable slides and bounce houses for all ages. Hot dogs, chips and drinks will be available for sale with all proceeds going towards the church’s mission trip to Haiti this summer.
For more information about the event, call 912-459-1009 or visit the church’s website at www.consumedchurch.com.
The following weekend in Richmond Hill, the annual Easter Extravaganza Easter Egg Hunt hosted by New Beginnings Community Church will begin at 11 a.m. March 30 with more than 30,000 plastic eggs ready for the taking, according to Pastor Steve Lane.
That’s a lot of eggs, but event organizers try to make sure every child is able to take some home.
“Some kids are very aggressive and some are not,” he said. “Some kids don’t get many eggs — or any at all — because they’re just not aggressive. So we always hold back a few thousand eggs so that if you don’t get eggs, you can come to the egg lady.”
After the egg hunt, Lane said there will be free hot dogs, drinks and chips, along with free pictures from the Easter bunny. Bounce houses, games and entertainment will also be provided.
Lane said between 3,500 and 4,000 people have attended in the past.
“I think it’s the biggest one-day event in Richmond Hill,” Lane said. “I don’t know of any other one-day event in one location that has more people than that. The Christmas parade may have people at various locations … and the Seafood Festival is a three-day event. So I think this is growing to be the biggest one.”
He said the church holds the event for free to the public and partners with many businesses in the community to keep the event alive year after year.
For more information about the event, call 912-445-0196 or visit http://nbcchurch.com.
On the other end of the county March 30, Pembroke’s Downtown Development Authority and Pembroke United Methodist Church will host the Eggstravaganza Easter Egg Hunt beginning at 9 a.m. in the downtown area.
“We are excited to have Pembroke United Methodist Church partnering with us this year for our Eggstravaganza Easter Egg Hunt,” said Sharroll Fanslau, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority.
“Anytime our community can join with a faith-based organization, it gives an additional accreditation to the event. We look forward to having them join with us for many years to follow.”
The event, which Fanslau expects will draw more than 300 children, will feature the traditional egg hunt with small prizes in some eggs. The Easter Bunny will be in attendance, Fanslau added, and prize baskets will be given away. This event also marks the opening of the city’s Whistlestop Farmer’s Market, she added.
“This is the official opening day of this year’s market season, and we have a total of five planned markets this year, each of which has a special activity attached to it,” Fanslau said.
Right now there are eight confirmed vendors for the market to be held in DuBois Square, but Fanslau expects more in the coming weeks. To register as a vendor, contact Fanslau at 653-4413.
Down the road in Ellabell, M&R Ranch Performance Horses of Georgia will host its first Easter Celebration at 343 Old Mill Creek Road. The event is from 2-5 p.m. March 30 and admission is $7.
The Easter bunny will be on site and attendees can enjoy an Easter egg hunt, horseback riding and a barbecue. There will be three gift certificates for free riding lessons valued at $25 hidden among the eggs. A photographer will also be on site for Easter pictures.
For more information about the event, or to RSVP, call 858-3849 or visit the event’s Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/WsGf3b.