A Crowd Of Kids Sweeps The Park Clean At Newtown’s Annual Easter Egg Hunt

By Andrew Gorosko

Like the energy released by the rush of spring floods, successive waves of children surged across the turf at Treadwell Park last Saturday, April 19, quickly and deliberately plucking from the lawn hundreds of brightly colored plastic eggs at the town’s annual Easter egg hunt.

The rapidly retrieved hollow toys bore bits of candy for the youths, whose large numbers made quick work of egg collection.

To make the event manageable, four individual Easter egg hunts were held for children ranging from ages 3 through 10. Girl Scouts from Troop 591 helped run the event for the Parks and Recreation Department.

After a signal was given, like thoroughbreds bolting from starting gates, the children ran onto their respective egg fields, swiftly and single-mindedly collecting the plastic eggs until all items had been plucked from the turf. So many children took part, that the eggs were retrieved in a matter of seconds.

The swirl of racing tots encircled the occasional parent, who documented the event with a video camera in hand.

Besides the boisterous egg hunting, participants guessed at the number of jellybeans held in a container. An Easter bonnet contest was also held.

The Easter Bunny, who probably is second in popularity to Santa Claus among small children, made a public appearance at the Treadwell Park pavilion, posing for pictures and socializing with the hundreds of youths present.