The state-wide shutdown that marked a year of canceled events, began just before Easter of 2020. For many, the holiday was small, simple and celebrated by individual households. While the pandemic has yet to bring back large social gatherings, event organizers at Faith Community Lutheran Church and Village at the Peaks creatively developed programs, refusing to let the holiday pass by uncelebrated again.
This Saturday Longmont families have the opportunity to celebrate Easter in a COVID-friendly manner with Faith Community Lutheran Church, or FCLC. From 9 to 11 a.m. families will be able to drive their cars around the church parking lot to find colorful sweets-filled eggs and prizes.
Kaye Mason, the children’s ministry director, wanted to give an opportunity to families who still may be apprehensive about going out in crowds to celebrate Easter and have fun.
“I really hope that it will just bring some joy and that families will let us celebrate a little with them,” Mason said.
Families can expect volunteers dressed up with bunny ears cheering them along the route while passing out candy and other prizes. But make sure to keep an eye out, families also can expect their cars to be egged — with confetti eggs — and might find a few pieces of candy flying through car windows.
In the past, Easter events for children at the church have gone hand-in-hand with Sunday school. This year, however, Mason wanted to branch out to more members of the community who may feel apprehensive about going to traditional egg hunts due to the ongoing pandemic.
This model was also seen for Halloween during ‘trunk-or-treats,’ allowing kids to experience the joy of the holiday while being COVID safe. The FCLC’s trunk or treat welcomed community members back to the church, bringing over 200 people.
“I think everybody that came, they needed it at that moment,” Mason said.
The FCLC will be holding three church services on Easter, both in-person and online, along with kid’s programming.
Families with Facebook are encouraged to reserve a spot for the Get Egg’d Drive.
Families can also check out the Easter egg hunt at Village at the Peaks shopping center, located at 1250 S. Hover Rd. With sixty eggs painted around the center, there are many opportunities for participants to find them through April 9th. Also COVID-friendly, the egg hunt does not involve picking up physical eggs but rather uploading pictures of the painted eggs to an online form.
“The event we’re doing this year is totally different and unique,” Renatta Banning, marketing manager of Village at the Peaks, said.
Before the pandemic, the shopping center saw upwards of 25,000 community members gather for Easter events including parachuters flying in shaped like eggs, face painting, Easter bunny visits, balloon artists and a traditional Easter egg hunt around the shopping center.
Kids in the community still have the chance to meet the Easter bunny this year, though. Families can reserve a 5-minute socially distanced photo spot with the Easter bunny through Saturday.
For anyone that finds all sixty eggs, there is a $1,000 cash prize. Don’t worry if not, participants can still win gift cards ranging from $10-$100, free meal cards, prize packages and more.
