SEBASTIAN — The hunt was on Saturday morning for more than just stickers and candy as hundreds upon hundreds of children descended on Riverview Park for Sebastian’s annual Easter Egg Hunt. They were eyeing stuffed animals, plastic flutes and jump ropes – they were also scouting potential eggs for special tickets and a $5 bill.
There were two tickets stashed in each of the age restricted egg fields; the winners would get a special prize. And, for the first time, a single $5 bill was placed in an egg in each of the fields.
Cheers went up from the crowd as the DJ announced the special gems hidden within the eggs.
Standing along the rope marking off the 8- and 9-year-old field was Nate Degre, who had already played on the jump slide and was now settling in to establish a game plan for the hunt.
“I’m going to try to get the flute, the jump rope – and the chalk, for my sister,” Nate said. He also eyed a gold egg and a silver one. “Good colors mean great candy.”
Nate, visiting from Summerfield, Fla., attended the hunt with his grandpa, Fred Huff, of Vero Beach. It was a first for the family to attend the egg hunt in Sebastian.
Huff said he found out about it earlier in the week about the event when he and his wife visited Riverview Park and read the marquee sign out near US 1.
“This is outstanding, how they have it set up,” Huff said of the egg fields. “We’ll definitely come out next year.”
Six-year-old Bailey McCollom attended with her grandma, Susan Hoffman, about as patiently as a 6-year-old can. She passed the time canvassing her egg field for the eggs and toys she wanted – two puppy stuffed animals and a couple eggs within easy reach.
“Grandma said I should,” Bailey said of picking out some eggs. Left to her own devices, she might only have grabbed the puppies, adding to the stuffed animal she took home during last year’s egg hunt.
“The kids have a lot of fun,” Hoffman said. “It’s a nice family event.”