Time for a new Aspen egg hunt tradition?
The Aspen Times
Aspen CO Colorado
ALL |
ASPEN – Aspen families looking for an Easter egg hunt this spring might want to take the traditional route – decorate eggs and have their own.
The Aspen Historical Society, which has annually hosted an egg hunt at Ruth Whyte Park, on the grounds of the Wheeler/Stallard Museum, is offering up the expansive yard to anyone who’d like to take over the tradition, but won’t conduct the event itself this year for a number of reasons.
“We don’t want to cut off the opportunity for an experience here, if you have a family or group that wants to do it,” said Georgia Hanson, historical society president and CEO. “We invite people to start their own tradition, using the park.”
The historical society has long hosted an Easter morning egg hunt, when it doesn’t get snowed out, but the event doesn’t exactly fit into the society’s mission, Hanson noted.
“We can’t figure out how to turn the event into a traditional education experience,” she said. “Our mission is not to throw candy at kids. How could we make it mission-based? We had that conversation.”
In addition, members of the staff will be attending a Ute Indian celebration in Utah that weekend. Historical programming to tell the story of the Utes in Aspen is in the works.
Hanson said the grounds have been offered to area parishes, but none have expressed interest in taking over the hunt.
The Aspen Recreation Center, which hosted a small egg hunt last year, is not planning one this year. Instead, some Easter-related activities are planned April 23; the ARC will be closed on Easter Sunday.
The Snowmass Village Recreation Center, however, will host an underwater egg hunt in its heated pool on Saturday, April 23, starting at 10:30 a.m. Participants should bring a swimsuit and a towel. Plastic, weighted eggs at the bottom of the pool can be turned in for candy. The hunt will be divided among four age groups, between 6 months and 13 years of age.
River Valley Ranch in Carbondale also hosts an underwater hunt in its pool. It takes place at 1 p.m. on April 23. The town of Carbondale hosts an egg hunt at 10 a.m. on April 23 in Sopris Park, for kids ages 1-8.
The town of Basalt is not planning a hunt, but the Crown Mountain Park and Recreation District will host one for ages 1-9 at Crown Mountain Park in El Jebel from 10-11 a.m. on April 23. The Easter Bunny is expected to make an appearance.
