Clinton egg hunt changing venue this year
— Created March 13, 2024 by Kathy Reed
By Kathy Reed
Easter is coming early this year, on March 31, and that means certain bunny trails are getting set for special egg-stravaganzas all over Whidbey Island. While most of the traditional egg hunts can be found in their usual places, the Clinton Easter Egg Hunt is moving – and growing!
The Clinton Chamber of Commerce, which puts the annual event together, will hold the egg hunt Saturday, March 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Thirsty Crab Brewery and Event Space at 9000 SR 525. This marks a change from previous events, which were held at Dan Porter Park.
The Easter bunny is getting ready for his biggest day of the year and will spend part of it at the annual egg hunt in Clinton! The traditional hunt will be in a new location this year, at the Thirsty Crab Brewery and Event Space from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 30.
Emily Switzer, Clinton Chamber’s executive director and board president, said they decided it was the right time to change things up.
“As traditional as it has been for many years and the community relies on it, we just feel like it’s time for a change,” she said in an email to Whidbey Weekly. “At the end of the day, Clinton is progressing and a rebrand of the Easter Egg Hunt is a step in a new direction.”
The Clinton Chamber has run the event for the past several years, and board members felt the organization could use it to help not only showcase more members, but get them involved in the fun.
“If it’s going to continue to be managed by the Chamber, it should benefit its members,” said Switzer. “That is what a chamber does, it supports and promotes local businesses; hence the reason to move it to a local business with tons of other business involvement. This is a chance to show the community that the Clinton Chamber is operational and we are looking forward to many more events promoting our community.”
The annual Clinton Egg Hunt, put on by the Clinton Chamber of Commerce, will feature hundreds of eggs and lots of other activities.
The egg hunt will still have what south Whidbey families look forward to, Switzer said, and will offer more fun activities to boot.
“We will have thousands of eggs, hundreds of prizes, photos with the Easter bunny, Scally Wagon food truck for breakfast, and Build a Braut [will] open early for lunch. There will be a live DJ, craft stations for kids, farm and pet rescues will be there with animals, and an onsite custom printing station where people can customize a shirt with a special choice image.”
For those who are used to taking part in the annual Dan Porter Park cleanup which typically happens before the egg hunt, the change of location for the egg hunt will not interfere with the annual cleanup.
“As a community service, many committees and volunteers, including myself, clean the park weeks prior to hosting the event,” Switzer said. “Many are under the impression that by changing the venue the park won’t get cleaned, and that just isn’t true. We still plan to pick up the park. The fact this simple cleanup also benefits springtime visitors and little league baseball, is a must.”
Find out more at discoverclintonwa.com.
The Bunny Trail Continues…
That rascally Easter rabbit will be making appearances all over Whidbey Island, as one might expect. Here are a few of the public egg hunts happening that weekend. Whidbey Weekly will highlight these events in our calendar, so if you have a public event you’d like included, please submit it to news@whidbeyweekly.com no later than Thursday, March 21, to be included in our March 28 issue.
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The 29th Annual Easter Scramble in Coupeville will be held Saturday, March 30, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Pre-registration is required by Tuesday, March 26, to participate in this event, which is put on by the Coupeville Soroptimists Club.
The club has conducted this annual Easter Egg hunt for kids in the community for nearly 30 years. Participants will be given clues to destinations on Front Street and scramble to collect eggs, clues and candy. Each child receives a bag of candy when they have visited all the bunny stops. The community donates prizes as well and all proceeds benefit local women and girls through the Soroptimists Club. A suggested donation of $5 is encouraged. The event begins on Front Street, next to the Island County Historical Museum. For questions on how to register, email Erin at seduffy1992@gmail.com.
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Oak Harbor Main Street will host its annual Egg Hunt at Smith Park Saturday, March 30. A sensory-friendly hunt for children ages 1 to 10 will begin at 11:30 a.m. At 12:30 p.m., additional hunts get underway for children by age group: 1-3 years, 4-6 years and 7-10. Participants can find more than just candy – get a lucky coin and win a prize. There will also be Garry Oak Tree education and other activities going on. Organizers say the eggs go quickly, so be sure to arrive before the starting time.
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Hop down to Meerkerk Gardens for its annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, March 30. There will be two different hunts, one at 11 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. for children ages 10 and under. Children up to age 5 will have their own hunt at the area near the Gazebo, while children ages 6 to 10 will have a separate egg-hunting space nearby. Participants can meet the Meerkerk bunny and everyone can enjoy the gardens, which are heading into peak bloom season. Cost to participate is $10 per person. Tickets may be purchased online at Meerkerkgardens.org/events.