About 100 parents and kids attended the regular Eggstravaganza Celebration for Canyon Kiddos at the Coal Creek Canyon Improvement Association Hall on April 9, 2022, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Organizers hid 1,000 plastic eggs on the hill behind the Hall with three golden prize eggs, which won an Easter basket.

They also had two live bunnies in the hall. The event also included crafts, activities, cocoa and cookies, and the Easter bunny and chick appeared. The event was presented by United Power.

By noon, the CCCIA Hall was packed with people waiting for the hunt and participating in egg painting and coloring. At about 12:15 p.m., the Easter bunny and a chick appeared bringing treats in a bucket.

Kids and parents lined up to take photographs with the Easter bunny. Bunny said his name is Pyka and he has been the bunny for two years. The chick said she is Ivy and also has been doing this for two years.

At about 12:30 p.m., the kids were lined up in the hall to start the hunt. The kids poured out of the hall and scoured the yard below gathering their eggs. Once inside the hall again, they tore open the eggs, grabbed the candy inside and discarded the shells into buckets to be saved.

Organizer Susy Schemel said she has lived in Coal Creek Canyon since 1976 and is on the CCCIA Board. She mainly works with the kids’ activities including the Egg Hunt and Santa Claus events.

The Board has conducted this event for many years, and it is a Coal Creek Canyon tradition. During the past two years, they hosted a drive through event because of COVID-19. Last year, the weather was so cold volunteers were freezing, but the kids in their cars were warm.

Schemel said she has about 12 volunteers to help. They had to stuff 1,000 eggs and then hide them.

After the egg hunters emptied their egg baskets and grabbed the treats inside, families headed home with treats and a great experience exploring the forest below the CCCIA Hall.

For more information about CCCIA events, go to https://www.coalcreekcanyon.org/.