Good weather and the opportunity to visit with the Easter bunny helped draw a good-sized crowd to the annual Hillsboro Easter Egg Hunt held April 12 at the Hillsboro R-3 School District’s Bridle Ridge Acres Farm, organizers said.
“I’d say we probably had 500 people total. I’d say at least 300 of them were kids,” said Mandy Alley of the Greater Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce, which sponsored the event, along with Bridle Ridge Acres Farm, Leader Publications and the Hillsboro Lions Club.
As has become a custom at the event, the Easter bunny arrived at Bridle Ridge Acres Farm riding in a Hillsboro Fire Protection District firetruck.
“The kids love to see the Easter bunny in the firetruck,” Alley said.
Children got to visit with and have photos taken with the bunny, she added.
Alley said the hunts, which had children separated by age groups to search for Easter eggs, finished in a flash.
“We do the 0 to 2 age group first,” Alley said. “Then, all the other age groups go after that. The Easter eggs go fast. I always say it starts at 11 a.m. and is over at 11:01 a.m.”
The youngsters searched for plastic eggs, which primarily contained candy or trinkets. In a few instances, though, eggs contained tickets for special prizes, like Super Soaker water guns, large stuffed animals, backpacks, learning toys and art supplies.
Since the event was held at the school district’s Bridle Ridge Acres Farm, the attendees had the chance to see the animals kept at the farm and have their photos taken with them. Students in the school district’s FFA, previously called Future Farmers of America, helped families as they visited with the animals.
“The FFA students said the kids really enjoy the farm animals, but the pigs are an especially big hit,” she said.
Alley said the Easter egg hunt attracts people from around the county and beyond.
“We draw people from St. Louis,” she said. “They said this was the best Easter egg hunt. They say they can’t wait to return for other chamber and school events.”
As part of the event, the Hillsboro Lions Club sponsored a beeping Easter egg hunt for youngsters with visual impairments or for those who benefit from a sensory-friendly hunt, organizers said.