Families gathered at Roadside Park on April 4 for a familiar sign of spring in Hastings, the annual Edina Realty Easter Egg Hunt, a long running community tradition that continues to draw children, parents, and volunteers together for a morning of candy, prizes, and shared memories.
The event began at 10 a.m. under clear conditions that longtime organizer Mary Murphy described as unusually cooperative for early April.
“I believe this is the 38th annual Easter egg hunt at roadside Park. It's an Edina Realty sponsored event that is at least that long, and it was sponsored a long time before that. What a good day, the weather's good. We got better weather than ever before, we usually we have snow or it's rain or something, but families always come out for it.”
Open to children age 10 and under, the hunt spread colorful eggs and treats across the park, with volunteers helping guide families to age-appropriate sections. Symbols are hidden on candies to give participants a chance to win special prizes, and the Easter Bunny stopped by for photos, adding to the festive atmosphere.
Murphy said organizing the event takes preparation, but it remains one of the easier community efforts the group handles each year.
“This is one of our easiest projects. So, we order the candy well in advance, and that is the best part. We have to be really careful not to get anything with peanuts for the little kids. And we try to be very careful so that nobody chokes.”
The park is divided into sections so younger children can participate safely and comfortably, with parents nearby as needed.
“That’s the reason for the sectioning off of the park. If we section off the zero to four here, then, then we can keep it and keep their parents with them, so they know what they’re getting,” Murphy said.
Separate areas also help prevent older children from rushing into spaces meant for younger participants.
“Not only that, but the little kids get the eggs, right? We used to do eggs for everybody, but it just got ridiculous. So now we just do it for the little kids, because the tiny ones are so excited more about the egg than they are about what’s in the egg.”
Behind the scenes, volunteers coordinate closely with city staff and local agencies to prepare the park ahead of time. Permits are arranged in advance, and the police department assists with equipment. Real estate agents help place signs and mark the hunting areas, while staff members gather to fill plastic eggs and organize prizes.
Among the most popular rewards are stuffed bunnies, matched to special symbols placed on select pieces of candy.
“There are four prizes in every category, it used to be numbers, but people didn’t get it. So, now we do a symbol on some of the pieces of candy. There is a symbol on it, and that symbol will match a bunny,” Murphy explained.
She added that the prizes are chosen carefully with safety in mind.
“We don’t give out chocolate. Unfortunately, we don’t do that just because it’s not as safe. We give out stuffed bunnies.”
For many families, the event has become part of their yearly routine, one stop among several Easter themed activities held across the community.
“It’s amazing how the community has embraced the idea. It used to be that we were the only ones that did it. Now we’re doing it, churches do it, and everybody does it. It’s funny, because a lot of times if the churches are doing it, they’ll run from here to the church, or from here to downtown.”
Volunteers also take care to spread eggs evenly across the grounds so children can enjoy the experience without crowding.
“That’s what we always have to worry about, too, spreading the candy and eggs out. As soon as there’s a pile, then everybody’s there.”
To keep older children engaged, some eggs are hidden in more challenging spots.
“Once in a while, the grandkids of mine will hide something at the trunk of a tree or something. So, the older kids have to look a little harder, so that they have to search.”
Murphy’s connection to the event stretches back decades, long before it became the organized gathering families recognize today. She said the tradition began with a small group of volunteers preparing hard boiled eggs by hand.
“I’ve done it every year. I don’t think I missed a year I’ve been in real estate 51 years, and I have done it every year. We started with a small group of us, and we started with hard boiled eggs. We boiled all the eggs, and we colored all the eggs.”
Even harsh weather never stopped the event entirely. In one memorable year, deep snow forced organizers to improvise around the park gazebo so children could still take part.
“One year we had a lot of snow in the park, so we couldn’t do it. So, one of our guys, Jerry Sullivan brought his snow blower in, blew out the gazebo, the cover, and then we brought in straw. So, we let people in, in groups, we let like, 20 or 30 at a time in to go hunt for eggs. It was a great those was a good old days.”
After more than five decades of involvement, Murphy said the reason she keeps returning is simple.
“It’s fun every year. I’ve done it every year. I just can’t miss it.”