WILKES-BARRE — “Bunny, bunny, bunny!”
That’s the chant that echoed through the streets of Downtown Wilkes-Barre on Saturday morning as hundreds of local kids eagerly waited for the Easter Bunny to start the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association’s 16th annual Easter Egg hunt.
The event featured 7,000 eggs placed in three different areas on Public Square for kids aged 3 and under, 4-6, and 7-10.
In addition, every participant had the opportunity to win prizes such as stuffed animals, candy, gift baskets, bikes and more if they discovered an egg with a prize ticket inside.
For many, the egg hunt is a cherished tradition that keeps them returning year after year. This is definitely the situation for Tish Lester and her five-year-old granddaughter, Kairi.
“We came last year and it was fantastic, so that’s what brought us back again this year. It really is about the kids, and they love it,” Lester said.
As for Kairi, she was focused on the prize.
“I want that big pink bike,” she said enthusiastically while leaping up and down.
While the Lester’s have already labeled the egg hunt as a yearly tradition, others attended the event for the very first time.
First-timers Abigail and Hector Rojas, of Wilkes-Barre, normally observe their holiday customs at their grandmother’s house, but this year they’ve chosen to broaden their Easter festivities.
“I saw this event on Facebook, and I wanted to bring Hector to see what it’s all about,” said Abigail.
“I hope to come again, because he’s eight, and the age range is only until 10, so he only has two years left to do this. I think it will be a new tradition,” she added.
As children dashed back to the prize table with their newly discovered eggs in hand, most left with a new treasure and a big smile on their face.
19-month-old Treyvon “Trey Trey” Torres even received a brand new pair of wheels.
“We came because he wanted to see the Easter Bunny and he ended up winning a bike,” said Treyvon’s mother, Mary Torres.
According to her, Treyvon’s first ever egg hunt was off to a rocky start until the bunny arrived.
“He was really fussy at first until he saw the Easter Bunny, and then that was it. Once he saw the bunny and the eggs, he started going crazy and he loved it,” Torres said.
The Torres family traveled from Parsons to attend the event — which they say is something they don’t see often in their neighborhood.
“It’s a wonderful thing for the children and the adults to come out to the downtown area to see how great it is, and it’s really a wholesome event — everybody is happy,” said William Torres-Diaz.
And, according to Michelle Wisp, Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association vice president, that’s just what the event is all about.
“The goal of the Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association is really to drive business and people to the downtown area. This event — our biggest — is just one big community event, and it’s so amazing,” Wisp said.
And the turnout was better than expected, she added.
“Every year, we get here to set up at 8 a.m. and it’s just a ghost town here — it’s so quiet. We always wonder if people are going to come, and every year, without a doubt, people flock to the Square, and it’s so great to see it filled with families and little kids having so much fun.”
