NOTE: “Today” and “tonight” refer to Friday, April 3.
Weeks of preparation will culminate in a few minutes’ scramble this weekend at free community Easter egg hunts scheduled this weekend for North Olympic Peninsula children.
Egg hunts will be conducted both Saturday and Sunday in communities across the region.
All organizers said the hunts will be held rain or shine.
Here are some annual favorites:
Biggest hunt
The North Olympic Peninsula’s biggest egg event is the annual KONP Easter egg hunt at The Pumpkin Patch, 260045 U.S. Highway 101, between Port Angeles and Sequim, on Saturday.
Registration the 37th edition of the hunt will start at 8:30 a.m., and the hunt will begin at 9 a.m.
Easter Bunny
“The Easter Bunny will be at the egg hunt, so bring your cameras and get a picture,” said Todd Ortloff, KONP radio general manager and an egg hunt organizer.
About 3,000 candy-stuffed plastic eggs will be hidden at the farm.
Children registered for the hunt will be entered into a drawing for 70 toy prizes.
The event will have areas roped off for three age groups: 0-2, 3-5 and 6-8.
Parents must be present at the hunt but are not allowed on the egg hunt fields for the 3-5 and 6-8 age groups.
In most years, between 300 and 500 children are registered for the hunt.
Because of the size of the egg hunt, preregistration forms are required.
Registration forms
Registration forms are available at businesses in Port Angeles and Sequim, and are to be turned in at The Pumpkin Patch beginning at 8:30 a.m. Saturday.
There will be no registration forms available at the event, Ortloff said.
Forms are available in Port Angeles at Beauty and the Beach, Necessities & Temptations gift shop, Brown’s Outdoor, Quality Tinting, Sound Bikes & Kayaks, Port Angeles Baby Store, Baskin Robbins, Jim’s Pharmacy, Fairmount Restaurant, Fairmount Grocery, Park View Villas and Domino’s Pizza.
In Sequim, forms are available at the Olympic Game Farm, Dungeness Kids Co. and The Cracked Bean.
Forks community hunt
The 35th annual community Easter egg hunt at Tillicum Park’s baseball fields in Forks will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The hunt is sponsored by the Forks Elks Lodge.
Each of the fenced ballfields is designated for an age group: 3 and younger, 4-8 and 9-12.
Parents in the 3-and-younger age group can accompany their children, but parents must remain behind the fence for the older age groups.
The hunt includes 1,500 real dyed eggs and about 350 plastic eggs containing candy, money or gift certificates.
Prizes include two bikes, one for a boy and one for a girl; 12 plush toy rabbits; and 12 chocolate rabbits, said Robin Schostak, co-chair of the Forks Elks Lodge egg hunt committee.
The event was started by Schostak’s brother, Bruce Guckenberg, who has since retired from the hunt and turned it over to the Elks.
At one time, the Guckenberg family members dyed all of the eggs in their kitchens, but now the dyeing is done by teams.
Residents of the Forks Long Term Care Facility cook and dye 12 dozen eggs, while 10 Elks members prepare the remainder of the eggs.
The eggs have been donated by Forks Outfitters.
The Easter Bunny will be at the egg hunt for pictures and visits with the children.
Oldest hunt on Sunday
Port Townsend Elks Lodge’s 85th annual Easter egg hunt is the oldest continuous egg hunt on the Olympic Peninsula and one of the oldest in the state, said Sandy Ellis, event coordinator for Port Townsend Elks.
It will be begin at 8 a.m. Sunday at Chetzemoka Park on Jackson Street at Blaine Street.
On Saturday, Elks volunteers will stuff the eggs and prepare baskets full of eggs.
In the predawn hours Sunday, members of local Boy Scout troops will hide more than 2,000 eggs in a designated egg hunt area in the park, Ellis said.
Children 12 and younger will be divided into three age groups.
Parents are not allowed to assist their children in collecting eggs, she said.
Boy Scouts will assist at the event to help children remain in their age group categories.
Those who find silver- and gold-colored eggs will receive silver and golden dollar coins, Ellis said.
For more information, phone the Elks Lodge at 360-385-0317.
American Legion hunt returns
The American Legion Post 26 Ladies Auxiliary is bringing back its Easter egg hunt after a year off.
The fun starts promptly at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Fred Lewis Scout Cabin Park on Discovery Road off Mill Road.
The auxiliary did not host an egg hunt last Easter because the scout cabin was undergoing renovations.
More than 60-dozen colored eggs will be hidden, along with prizes including 100 ice-cream tokens from Elevated Ice Cream, half of which were donated by them.
There are three age groups: 0-4, 5-7 and 8-11.
Joyce community hunt
The 14th annual Community Easter egg hunt for ages 10 and younger will be at 10 a.m. Saturday.
The egg hunt will be on the Crescent School grounds on state Highway 112.
There are three age groups for the hunt: 3 and younger, 4 to 6 and 7 to 10.
Due to wet grass, it is suggested attendees wear rain boots.
Donations of boiled colored eggs are welcome.
The Easter Bunny will be there, too.
For more information, phone 360-928-3216. No phone calls after 8 a.m.
Many other egg hunts — along with sunrise services, breakfasts and other special Easter events — are planned on the Peninsula.
Here is a list:
PORT TOWNSEND
City Dock sunrise service
New Life Church will conduct an Easter sunrise service on City Dock at 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
The dock is at Pope Marine Park in downtown Port Townsend.
A service will follow at 10:30 a.m. at the church.
Sunrise service, egg hunt
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1020 Jefferson St., will celebrate on Easter Sunday a 6:30 a.m. “Easter Fire” sunrise service at North Beach Park, a lay-led service for the entire community.
From 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. will be Easter services at the church, followed at noon by a communitywide Easter egg hunt and celebration at the church, which will feature separate hunts for younger and older children.
Hot-cross buns, “living” Easter baskets and other Easter goodies are planned.
For more information, email stpauls_pt@outlook.com or phone 360-385-0770.
CHIMACUM
Food, face painting
Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 45 Redeemer Way in Chimacum, will host a community Easter party and egg hunt from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
The event will include food, face painting, crafts, storytime and three egg hunts for kids.
For more information, phone 360-385-6977.
Brinnon egg hunt
Children 12 and younger and their parents are invited to an Easter egg hunt at the Brinnon Gardens, 105 Schoolhouse Road, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
The event, which is for Brinnon residents only, is scheduled to take place rain or shine.
Families are welcome to tour the garden following games in designated areas.
The egg hunt for kids 5 and younger is at 2:15 p.m.; the egg hunt for ages 6-11 is at 2:30 p.m.
Other games and fun start at 3 p.m.
Brinnon Gardens photos and information can be found at www.brinnongardens.com.
SEQUIM
Sequim egg hunt
The Sequim Elks Lodge’s community Easter egg hunt will take place at 143 Port Williams Road from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday.
The egg hunt is set with four age groups: 2-4, 5-7, 8-9 and 10-11.
For more information, phone 360-460-0380.
Easter sing-along
Dungeness Community Church is sponsoring a Community Easter Sing-Along from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
The sing-along, which will be led by Steve Lopes, will be at Centennial Place at the northwest corner of Sequim Avenue and Washington Street.
All are welcome to sing or listen to musical favorites celebrating Easter.
Easter play
Cornerstone Baptist Temple, 44 Joslin Road, is putting on an Easter play called “The Road to Forgiveness” on Sunday.
The free play, which is open to the public, will begin promptly at 7 p.m.
Attendees are asked to arrive by 6:50 p.m.
The play focuses on a couple finding true forgiveness.
Refreshments will follow.
For more information, phone 360-681-3832.
PORT ANGELES
White Crane hunt
White Crane Martial Arts, 129 W. First St., will hold its seventh annual Easter egg hunt at noon Saturday.
A large cutout of the Easter Bunny will be available for children to pose with for keepsake photographs.
Donations will be accepted but are not required.
Easter services with hunts
An annual Easter egg hunt will take place at Fairview Bible Church, 385 O’Brien Road, at 10 a.m. Saturday.
This hunt is for children up to sixth grade.
The event starts with a small activity and Easter story, then the kids are released by ages to start hunting eggs.
On Sunday, an Easter sunrise service with breakfast is planned at 6:30 a.m., and a resurrection Sunday service is set for 10:30 a.m.
For more information, phone Fairview Bible Church at 360-457-5905 or visit www.fairviewbible.net.
JOYCE
Bake sale
The Joyce Fire Auxiliary’s annual Easter Bake Sale will be held at the Joyce General Store, 50893 state Highway 112, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Easter goodies, along with some specialty items, will be provided.
All gluten-free items and items containing nuts will be marked.
LAPUSH
Quileute egg hunt
The Quileute Housing Authority Youth Program’s 18th annual Easter egg hunt will be at the Quileute Oceanside Resort, 330 Ocean Front Drive, at 11 a.m. Saturday.
All children 12 and younger are welcome to attend. There are separate age areas to hunt.
A prize will be presented to the finder of the “secret egg.”
The Easter Bunny will be on hand.
Participants are urged to dress for the weather.
FORKS
Sunrise service
Calvary Chapel Forks will conduct a public sunrise service under the Tillicum Park pavilion at 6:30 a.m. Sunday.
There will be worship, communion and music by About the Author.
For more information, phone 360-374-3298.
Easter celebration
Forks First Baptist Church will hold its annual Children’s Easter Celebration at the church, 651 S. Forks Ave., at 2 p.m. Saturday.
Along with an egg hunt with more than 1,000 eggs stuffed with prizes and candy will be a presentation of the Easter story, a puppet show, crafts and cookies.
All children in fifth grade and under are welcome to participate in the egg hunt.
Easter breakfast
Forks Emblem Club and Concerned Citizens will host their annual Easter breakfast at the Forks Elks Lodge, 941 Merchants Road, from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sunday.
The breakfast, which is open to the public, will offer ham, sausage, biscuits and gravy, hashbrowns, scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast, juice and coffee — all buffet-style.
The cost is $7 for 12 and older, $5 for seniors and ages 5-11, and free for 4 and younger.
All proceeds will go toward new toys for children at Sunshine & Rainbows and Emblem Club scholarships for local graduating seniors.
