Have baskets, will hunt: Modesto region children celebrate Easter egg bounty

Eggs tried to hide but they couldn’t run Saturday, leaving them vulnerable to being snatched up by children all over the region.

This year’s annual Easter egg hunts hit full tilt, with several put on by communities, organizations and churches throughout the area to herald Sunday’s holiday.

At the Modesto Farmers Market, hordes of little ones turned out downtown to hunt happily colored eggs along the grassy area on 16th Street outside Modesto’s branch of the county library. Their hunting was not in vain – candy treats were found inside the plastic eggs.

Children also had the chance to enjoy a meet-and-greet with the event’s VIP, the Easter Bunny himself.

Also on Saturday were hunts at Modesto Reservoir and at several of the region’s churches. If you missed those festivities, there’s a large community event still on the schedule for Easter Sunday in the Mother Lode.

The Victorian Easter Celebration at Columbia State Historic Park includes a promenade on Main Street and a visit by that event’s annual version of the famed bunny, Thaddeus E. Hare.

There will be prizes for fanciest Victorian hat, best-dressed couple, lasses and lads, groups and pets. Egg hunts for the little ones begin at noon, 1 and 1:30 p.m., broken up by age group. The Victorian Easter Parade begins at 12:30 p.m.

This story was originally published April 15, 2017 at 2:41 PM with the headline "Have baskets, will hunt: Modesto region children celebrate Easter egg bounty."