Bunnies, butterflies and brightly colored eggs are all in store as the City of Meridian’s Parks and Recreation Department and other community organizations gear up to celebrate the Easter weekend
On Friday, March 29, the City of Meridian’s Parks and Recreation Department will host the first of two Easter egg hunts planned for the holiday weekend.
An annual event, the egg hunt will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, at Velma Young Park, located at 2400 16th Avenue. In case of rain, the event will be moved indoors to the gym in Velma Young Community Center. Then at 4 p.m., Sunday, March 31, a second egg hunt will take place in the historic Highland Park, located at 1720 Jimmie Rogers Memorial Drive.
Both egg hunts are open to the public. Age groups for hunting eggs will be 3-4 year olds, 5-7 year olds and 8-10 year olds. Golden egg prizes, as well as candy-filled eggs, will be among the 4,000 eggs hidden during the two hunts. Participants will also enjoy live music and inflatable bounce houses.
On Saturday, the Junior Auxiliary of Meridian’s Crown Club is hosting a special event, Breakfast with the Bunnies, for little ones who love animals. The breakfast will be held from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 30, at Explorer Acres in Collinsville.
Families are invited to join Crown Club members in a morning filled with Easter fun, which will include breakfast and photos with real rabbits and a rainbow unicorn mini pony, Easter egg games, face painting, crafts and a petting zoo, said Olivia Brent, a member of the Junior Auxiliary’s Crown Club.
“From exciting Easter egg games to heartwarming photos with our fluffy friends, there’s something for everyone to enjoy,” Brent said in a news release. “We’ll also be serving up a fresh breakfast, offering face painting sessions, hosting spring craft activities, and providing a petting zoo experience that will make this event truly memorable.”
Tickets to the breakfast, which are limited, are $20 each with proceeds directly benefiting the Crown Club’s service project. Tickets can be purchased through a link on the Junior Auxiliary of Meridian’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
Explorer Acres, an educational based farm that offers horseback riding lessons, pony parties and animal encounters, is located at 13083 Newton County Martin Road in Collinsville.
Also on Saturday, the Mississippi Children’s Museum–Meridian will welcome spring with a Bunnies and Butterflies event from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
For this special occasion, MCM-Meridian’s outdoor exhibit gallery, My Fantastical Backyard, will spring to life and provide an inviting setting for festivities. Children will get to interact with real bunnies and learn about the lifecycle of butterflies. They also will discover how to plant and harvest produce through a hands-on gardening activity at 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Other activities will include creating bunny puppets and butterfly windsocks, storytime with Miss Meridian Jalyssiah Ott, garden games, butterfly and ladybug observation and an Easter bunny photo opportunity.
Tickets are $10 per person for general admission and free for museum members.