Easter egg hunts kick off this weekend

COLUMBIA BASIN — Easter festivities will be in full swing this weekend, with egg hunts taking place throughout the Columbia Basin. Be prepared and have your kids bring their own baskets for a flurry of fun.

Moses Lake: The Moses Lake Lions Club will be holding their annual Easter egg hunt at McCosh Park, near the tennis courts, at noon on Saturday for children ages 3 to 10, with the children divided into separate age groups, according to organizer Sue Hodges. More than 7,000 plastic Easter eggs will be spread out for attendees to collect, up from 6,000 eggs in the 2015 hunt. Hodges said children younger than 3 will be able to participate in a separate section with a parent. She encouraged prospective attendees to arrive early as eggs are usually “gone within about a minute.” Also on tap for Saturday is an egg hunt organized by the Moses Lake Sand Scorpions at the Moses Lake Sand Dunes at noon, followed by a Poker Run starting 30 to 45 minutes after the egg hunt.

Ephrata: Easter egg hunting starts Friday night (tonight) in Ephrata, with the annual "Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt" beginning at 8:30 p.m. in Lions Park. It's for children and teens, fifth-graders through high school seniors. It's dark at the park by then, hence the flashlights, said Carrie Hoiness, the city's recreation coordinator. There are three age groups with three prize eggs in each age group, with a Go Pro as the grand prize in each age group and Splash Zone packages and passes as other prizes. Participants should bring their own flashlights and a basket to take home the loot.

The community Easter Egg hunt is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, back in Lions Park. It's for kids from preschool age through fifth grade.

Warden: The Warden Lions and the Warden High School Leo Club will sponsor the community Easter egg hunt at 10 a.m. Saturday on the high school football field, 101 Beck Way. It's for children in preschool through the fifth grade. Children will be looking for a lot of eggs, an estimated 80 dozen. Traditionally the Easter Bunny visits Warden to help find eggs, arriving on a fire truck.

Soap Lake: The Grant County Fire District No. 7 Auxiliary is sponsoring an egg hunt at McKay Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, located at 127 Second Ave. SW., starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday for children ages 12 and under. A hunt is also going to be held at John’s Foods, 115 Daisy Street, starting at 7:30 a.m. for children up through the third grade.

Quincy: Children in fourth grade and younger can participate in the Quincy Moose Lodge's annual Easter egg hunt at 10 a.m. Saturday. The hunt will be held at East Park off Highway 28. Contact the Moose Lodge at 509-787-2650 for more information.