City of Hobart Easter egg hunt returns to massive success at Festival Park

Festival Park was packed on Saturday, April 19, as families lined up for the annual City of Hobart Easter egg hunt. Kids 12 and under had the opportunity to pick up over 12,000 eggs scattered throughout the park thanks to the efforts of the Hobart Parks Department. On top of the usual prizes like candy, each egg had the chance to reward its picker with one of the many donated prizes.

“The excitement on the kids’ faces is why we do this. This is the second year we’ve done this, and it seems like it’s growing every year,” Hobart Mayor Josh Huddlestun said. “Having a space like Festival Park that can house our community and bring everyone together on the eve of Easter is pretty awesome.”

Hobart Parks went all out to ensure a good time for families and their children at this year’s event. With a live DJ playing everything from “Gangnam Style” to “Baby Shark,” hand-spun cotton candy from Fun Times Cotton Candy, great grub from Big Mike’s food truck, whimsical bounce houses from Tye’s Bounce Parties, and a visit from the Easter Bunny himself, the whole event became much more than just an Easter egg hunt.

“We’re trying to set the standard, and our parks department is leading the way,” Huddlestun said. “It’s really nice to have a strong parks department that’s forward-thinking and innovative for our community. Because of that, we’re starting to see other communities replicate what we’re doing, which is pretty exciting.” 

In addition to the work put in by Hobart Parks, this event was made possible thanks to generous donations from the community. Organizations like The Waters of Hobart – which donated two bikes to be included as prizes – and individuals like District 3 Councilmember and Parks Board Representative Michael Rodriguez, whose family, in addition to attending the event, provided a generous donation to elevate the prizes on offer.

“Every kid got plenty of candy, and there were also tons of prizes,” Rodriguez said. “This event is a great way to kick off spring in Festival Park.”

As families lined up for photos with the Easter Bunny or danced with the DJ, Huddlestun and the Hobart Parks team were already looking forward to a fun event season in Festival Park. The Summer Market on the Lake, the Lakefront Festival, the Cardboard Regatta, Fourth of July fireworks, and the annual Duck Dam Race are all set to make Festival Park a premier event destination this spring and summer.

“A lot of memories are made here at this park,” Huddlestun said. “You can see it when everyone’s out here. They’re all so friendly, and everyone’s interacting with each other. It’s pretty amazing to see.”

To stay up to date on all the fun happenings in Hobart, visit the Hobart Events webpage or follow Hobart Parks and Events on Facebook.

Learn more about the City of Hobart at cityofhobart.org.