On Saturday, March 30, crowds of people with rain jackets and Easter baskets gathered at Butler Park to celebrate a rainy Easter weekend with the community at the annual Cottonwood Heights Easter Egg Hunt. 

Over 40,000 items, including 16,000 eggs filled with candy or stickers, loose candy, and toys were spread on the field, divided up into areas marked with flags and tapes for six different age groups. A local food truck was also on site, and children could wait in line for a chance to meet the Easter bunny. At 10 a.m., a fire truck horn kicked off the egg hunt and within minutes, all the eggs and prizes were collected. 

“It's a fun activity. It's fun to come out with the family,” Ann Eatchel, Cottonwood Heights’ culture manager, said the day prior to the event. “It takes some time to prepare it and get the field ready and the different age groups. They're all marked out with a flag and tape, but it's over in just a few minutes.”

With the event taking place outdoors, weather plays a significant role in the format of the egg hunt. In anticipation of varying conditions, organizers remain flexible to ensure the event's success while prioritizing participants' safety and enjoyment.

“Last year it actually snowed on us,” Eatchel said. “It was actually kind of fun and we made it work. This year, if the rain is just too harsh, we'll do a drive thru where we just prepackaged some eggs and candy… We'll just have the people stay in the car and wave to the bunny and we'll have a team of people just handing out a bag per kid in the car. We will still do something this year, we're just not sure what we're going to end up doing. … I'm willing to stand out there in the rain.”

From weather-related challenges to logistical arrangements, the Cottonwood Heights Easter Egg Hunt relies on the collective efforts of various community organizations to ensure the event's success and uphold the community tradition each year.

“I couldn't do it without (Cottonwood Heights) Public Works helping out, the Cottonwood Heights Rec Center,” Eatchel said. “My favorite is the youth city council. Without them, I couldn't do it. They come out early. We're out there at 8:00 a.m. setting things up, and the youth city council spreads all that candy out on the field.”

The Easter egg hunt serves as an opportunity for community members to come together and provides a chance for neighbors to reconnect. 

“It's just a great event for the community to come out,” Eatchel explained. “It's kind of a kick off of the spring and summer… it's just a great event for people to come out and actually get to see the rest of the community.” λ