"Saturday morning is definitely not looking good. We want to get this event in and the best chance of that by the looks of the weather forecast is 6 p.m. Friday evening," said event organizer Ronnie Beith. "We have lots of great prizes and egg fillers and we can’t wait to gather the kids in the park."
Should anything change, Beith says folks should check on the Franklin events Facebook page.
She was having a blast in between stuffing the eggs. She was even caught crawling around on the floor under the tables to retrieve one that got away from her.
Perhaps it was product testing, or perhaps it is just the joy of volunteering and helping Franklin bring back a favorite tradition right before Easter.
A small group gathered to stuff the last few hundred eggs to help top off the thousands already prepared by several organizations like the Kiwanis Club, Franklin Fine Arts Council, Rocky Grove High School and Franklin Rotary. Franklin Marketing and Events coordinator Ronnie Beith said it has been a challenge finding a way to store all the eggs.
“We are so excited to see the park littered with [thousands] of colorful eggs again and hear the joy of the dozens of children,” said Beith. "The community continually partners to provide these events for the children, and it is nice to get back to tradition.” Last year during the pandemic woes, they were able to partner with others to provide a drive-up Easter Bunny Lane as an alternative.
According to the press release, this year’s major prize sponsors include Chris Rakow, Pizza Hut, Eat ‘n Park, RAACA of Venango County, Haggerty’s Ice Cream, Venango County A.B.A.T.E. and Benjamin’s Roadhouse. Donations were also given by Pastries by Andrea, Leonardo’s Pizza and Wanango Country Club.
“We have the most prizes ever donated for this comeback year,” Beith said. “There are toys in the eggs, silver dollars, candy, and over 500 coupons for kids’ meals, pizzas, ice cream or treats. What a wonderful way to welcome the kids back to the park.”
The event features four age divisions for those 8 and younger. There are four coupons for special prize baskets in each age group. The start of the hunt begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 9, in Fountain Park. "It's over in about five minutes," Brickner said with a chuckle.
But there is more to do.
Other Easter-themed events will also take place in Franklin that day. The Franklin Public Library will host a story time from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Rural King will be in have photo ops with chicks at Fountain Park from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. A bunny petting station from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Galleria at Olde Liberty. And of course, the Easter Bunny herself will make an appearance in the park. Rain date for the hunt is April 16 unless otherwise noted through social media at https://www.facebook.com/FranklinPAEvents.
Additional information is available online at www.franklinpa.gov/events, by calling 814-437-1922, ext. 1123 or emailing [email protected]. And like https://www.facebook.com/FranklinPAEvents to keep up on any changes and to get the latest on all Franklin events.