By Khalida Sarwari
Wildwood Park will be full of surprises on March 26 for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows’ eighth annual Easter Egg Hunt–surprises in the form of 5,000 eggs filled with candy and small toys, and not one but two Easter bunnies.
Saratoga children and their families are invited to search for the hidden eggs and participate in two hours’ worth of activities set to kick off with music at 10 a.m. Among them are face painting, balloon sculptures, three-legged races and a hula hoop contest.
Two Easter bunnies mean “so there are all sorts of photo opportunities” at the event, said Terry Hall, chairwoman of the IOOF Easter Egg Hunt.
The egg hunt will start around 11 a.m., and while it is primarily targeted toward toddlers up to pre-teens, older siblings are permitted to help. Participants are being asked to bring their own baskets.
“What we’ve done in the past is we let the little kids go first and the older kids have an opportunity to go afterward, so nobody will leave before they have some Easter eggs,” Hall said. “Nobody’s going to go home with an empty Easter egg basket.”
About 300 people attended last year’s Egg Hunt.
IOOF is a nonprofit that has been around for more than 100 years. The group’s focus is on charity work, especially helping the sick, elderly and poor and educating youth.
The festivities will last until about noon. The event is free and open to the public. Wildwood Park is at 20764 Fourth St. in Saratoga.
“We definitely want to encourage folks who haven’t participated in it to come,” Hall said.
