Sunshine, laughter and a sea of pastel eggs filled the grounds of Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village on April 19, as the museum hosted its first-ever community Easter egg hunt.

Following direct orders from the Easter Bunny, volunteers hid an impressive 1,700 eggs across the Village for children to find. The hunt was split into four age groups for kids aged two to 12, with the reward being more than just the thrill of the search — children could trade in their colourful finds for a variety of Easter-themed prizes.

To gear up for the event, the museum got into the spirit with a colouring contest. Congratulations to Weston and Averie for their winning entries!

The event wasn’t only about the hunt. The Village grounds buzzed with yard games and a room for both kids and adults to make Easter crafts. Over at the Garden Cafe, guests could cool off with ice cream or try a playful treat — bunny dogs. Don’t worry, it was all in good fun and they were not made with real bunnies.

Roughly 600 people attended the event, with about 230 children taking part in the egg hunt itself.

Kootenai Brown staff were amazed by the turnout and credited the success to the strong community spirit of volunteers and sponsors.

For those who came out, helped out or cheered from the sidelines — thank you for making it special.

The Easter Bunny gave a pep talk to Nathan, Nonoy, Freya, Nadine and Kyle before they started searching for coloured eggs.

Photo by Melchie Solis de Guzman

Ansel and Wayne Eluik were ready to hunt for Easter eggs at Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village.

Photo by Samantha Batten