The skies were clear but a chilly wind was blowing Saturday morning, April 8 at Wiscasset Parks and Recreation’s annual Easter egg hunt held for its 24th year at Wiscasset Middle High School’s track. According to Parks and Recreation Director Duane Goud, between 150 and 200 local children under the age of 11 attend the event each year.

Participants began arriving around 9:30 for the 10 a.m. start. Many had pre-registered; others registered as they arrived. Children excitedly eyed the eggs on the field finding it hard to wait for the start time. Many chose to run laps around the track to help pass the time and stay warm while some of the older participants sat wrapped in blankets.

The Easter Bunny was visiting. Many children got high fives and their parents took pictures of them with the large Bunny.

Paisley French, 13 months, of Newcastle, was there with her dad Bailey French for the first time as was Lilyann Sawyer, 19 months, of Woolwich. Paisley was dressed for the event in her white bunny fleece, pink headband and matching fleece bunny basket.

The Maulolo family children – Zaya, 2, Soonafai, 3, and Mavis, 4 – were there for their second time with their mom and grandmother from Edgecomb.

Over 6,000 plastic eggs were spread across the field inside the track ready to be found by the egg hunters, who lined up along the track shortly before 10 a.m. After Goud and the Easter Bunny counted back from 10 to go, children and their families raced onto the field to collect eggs in whatever container they brought with them. Bags, buckets and baskets were quickly filled. Each egg contained a small prize of gum, candy, an eraser, or a small toy. Ten eggs held tickets to be exchanged for the special prize of a stuffed rabbit at the end of the hunt.

It did not take long for the thousands of eggs to be gathered up. Families sat on the grass or the track and carefully opened each egg to see what treasure was inside.

Ingrid Bishop of Brunswick presented one of the special tickets to Goud and quickly picked the stuffed bunny of her choice. When asked if she would be naming her bunny, she responded, “Yes!” but had not decided on a name yet.

Participants returned the plastic eggs to large bins for use again another year and headed away, wishing one another Happy Easter as they left.