Amherst, Milford children meet Easter Bunny

Saturday’s weather did not stop the Annual Easter Parade, Egg Hunt and Scavenger Hunt in Amherst, as kids were seen hopping down the bunny trail with the Easter Bunny from the steps of the Congregational Church to the Village Green.

“You just have to make the best of it,” said Shelley Lacaillade, of Amherst, who brought her daughter, Kate, 2. “I think it was wonderful.”

When the kids reached the Village Green, there were sections roped off by age, giving the younger kids an opportunity to grab their fair share of pastel-colored plastic eggs. After getting the prize of stickers or little toys, the eggs were then returned to be recycled.

The older kids, those in second grade and up, could participate in a scavenger hunt. “It was very age-appropriate,” Lacaillade said. “It’s something that kids look forward to.”

The egg hunters were seen wearing mud boots that complimented their Easter bonnets; even the Easter Bunny was modeling a nice pair of jelly bean-decorated rain boots.

“It’s a great family event,” said Kathy Earley, of Amherst, and president of the Amherst Junior Women’s Club, an organization that helps the community by volunteering and raising funds for other organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley, David’s House and Nashua Children’s Home, which hosts this event.

Earley has been a part of the annual Easter tradition for 12 years and said that despite the weather, the attendance was amazing.

“Nobody complains,” she said. “Rain or shine, it’s traditionally outside.”

Everything at the event was free, from the baked goods to sitting on the Easter Bunny’s lap for a couple of pictures.

“It wasn’t crazy, it wasn’t chaotic,” Lacaillade said. “I think it was perfect.”

With residents of New Hampshire accustomed to the weather drastically changing overnight, the Milford Recreation Annual Egg Hunt was held in the auditorium of Town Hall, right next to the Milford Oval, instead of Keyes Field.

“It’s organized chaos,” said Carol Bonura, who brought her daughter, Neve, 20 months old. “Outside is always a better venue.”

Bonura, of Milford, said that under the circumstances, the event overall was good and that she plans to attend next year with her friend Wendy Sharpe, of Nashua.

“There’s not much you can do,” said Sharpe about the weather causing the change in location. It could be worse, she said: “It could be snowing.”

Sharpe’s son, Jacob, 3, didn’t seem to care that he was in a noisy auditorium.

“I like the toys and the candy,” he said.

Located in the middle of the room were plastic kiddy pools fill with the same style eggs as the ones in Amherst, and kids were allowed to go up and pick 10 eggs of their choice. After they took the prize out, they would put the empty eggs in bins to be recycled.

“It’s good that they had a backup,” said Erica Lafreniere, of Milford, who was there with daughter Emma, 6.

“It was good,” Emma said about the morning that she had. “I liked that I got to sit on his – the Easter Bunny’s – lap.”

A line filled the auditorium of fans of the popular bunny. As they waited, they were able to submit their guess as to how many jelly beans were in a jar.

Chris Cotsifas, of Milford, was waiting for the line to get shorter so his two children- Quinn, 16 months, and Christopher, 3- could get their photo-op.

“I was a little disappointed,” he said about the event being inside. “It was rainy out, so it actually worked out better.”

Though both egg hunts had to work around or through the weather, the kids seemed to enjoy themselves.

“The weather isn’t always cooperative,” Lacaillade said. “Welcome to New Hampshire.”