Despite April showers over Easter weekend, the weather didn’t stop families from showing up Saturday to the annual “South Park Easter Egg Hunt” in Park Ridge.
Hosted by the South Park Merchants Association, the free event held at the city park of the same name was open to both residents and visitors — and it drew a crowd. Organizers estimate that hundreds participants, including children who raced across the park collecting brightly colored plastic eggs filled with candy and stickers. Parents took photos, caught up with one another and helped some of the little ones greet the Easter bunny.
“The South Park Merchants have been hosting this Easter egg hunt for decades. It’s a community thing that we do every year. It has a big turnout, it’s a lot of fun and we enjoy doing it for the community,” said Ann Witek, a member of the South Park Merchants Association and a sponsor of the egg hunt.
The hunt was organized into four time slots by age group: Children age 0 to 3 kicked things off, followed by the 6- to 8-year-olds then the 9- and 10-year-olds. Close to 6,000 hand-stuffed Easter eggs were placed throughout the park, ensuring every child had a chance to go home with a basket full of treats, according to organizers.
“Watching the joy in their faces makes your day. And the little ones running … it’s just a lot of fun,” said Witek. “I want people to feel that they have somewhere to come … and enjoy other people’s company instead of sitting in front of a screen somewhere all day. Just remembering that we are a town, we are people, we are social and it’s good to be together.”
Fourth-year attendees Elizabeth Rogowski and her daughters, Stella, 9, Natalia, 6, and Gabby, 11, have made the hunt a family tradition.
“The kids enjoy the candy and hunting for the eggs,” said Rogowski. “It’s fun just gathering with all of the locals here, getting together, catching up and watching the kids get the eggs.”
Stella Rogowski, who started the hunt with a strategy, was focused on scoring as much candy as possible.
“They all put clumps of eggs together, so I always run over there and get them,” she said.
South Park resident and local business owner Kristina-Monique Cortez also attended, helping set up the event with her children, Luka, 10, and Mila, 8, before participating in the festivities.
“The first time we heard about it was last year. And this year, since we live in the South Park area, we wanted to just be a part of it, a part of the community,” said Cortez. “Also, being a business owner in the area, it’s just something that we like to do to bring more community efforts out here.”
Luka and Mila each collected a full bag of Easter eggs, excited to find their favorite candies — Starburst and Airheads — inside. When asked about their favorite part of the morning, they didn’t hesitate.
“I liked getting the eggs, putting down the eggs and seeing the bunny,” said Luka.
“Being with my family, friends and seeing the Easter bunny,” said Mila.
Before settling in Park Ridge and starting her business, Symmetrical Artistry, Cortez lived in San Diego. She mentioned how much she values the tight knit feel of her new community.
“I love seeing the community come together. I grew up in a neighborhood that didn’t have that in San Diego. So, being in a community where they get together, they talk about other businesses, they talk about how the kids can do things together and how to grow the community now that it’s getting warmer outside … I love it,” she said.
Kaitlin Mikrut is a freelancer.
