Spring has finally sprung and to celebrate it, the Town of New Paltz Youth Program and the New Paltz Police Department are joining together to host the 34th Annual Easter Egg Hunt on April 9 and 10. There are two events, both free and no pre-sign ups required, the Easter Stone Hunt at Hasbrouck Park and the Easter Egg Hunt at Historic Huguenot Street.
On Saturday, April 9 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., the 34th Annual Egg Hunt will commence at 1 p.m. on Huguenot Street, near the intersection on Broadhead Avenue. This event is for ages 12 and under and there will be a ton of prizes and activities, including DJ Jay Smooth, balloons, face-painting and concession stands.
Following last year’s 33rd Annual Easter Egg Hunt, where participants had to be socially distanced and had to sign-up for one of the four sessions held, the 34th Annual hunt is resorting to how things once were before the pandemic. With the mask-mandate lifted, participants this year have the option to wear them, but do not have to sign-up beforehand.
According to the Town of New Paltz’s website, there will be four age groups: 1-3 years, 4-6 years, 7-9 and 10-12, respectively. There are 5000 eggs to collect, each filled with candy, toys and extra special prizes. The Easter Bunny will also make their appearance along with New Paltz fire trucks and other rescue vehicles.
The pamphlet created by the New Paltz Youth Program also recommends that those attending this event should arrive early, in hopes of beating the parking traffic on Broadhead Ave and Huguenot St. If you are worried about not finding enough space, you can always walk in from town.
If you cannot make the Annual Easter Egg Hunt, there is another event being held on Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10 called the “2022 Easter Stone Scavenger Hunt” at Hasbrouck Park. Any age can participate and there is not a time limit. From dawn until dusk, there will be 100 stones scattered around the park to find.
Scavenger hunt participants need to print out the Easter Stone Inventory checklist that can be found at http://newpaltzyouthprogram.org, and check off as many of the stones you can find. Do not move the stones nor take them with you. Bring proof of your scavenger skills to the New Paltz Youth Center at 220 Main Street anytime during the week of April 11-15, between the times of 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. to redeem a prize. These events will be sponsored by ShopRite, New Paltz Office of Community Wellness, the New Paltz Fire Department and Rescue Squad. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Program Director Jim Tinger, NPYP 845-325-2593 or 255-5140 or email NPYP at newpaltzyp@gmail.com.