Easter Egg Hunts continue to spread springtime cheer By Jillian Chandler
As spring makes its arrival here in North Idaho, the air begins to warm, the sun makes itself known, and the much-anticipated Easter Bunny makes his arrival. There’s also another special “bunny” who spreads Easter cheer, and that’s Coeur d’Alene local Eric Kensbock, an outdoor enthusiast and advocate for bringing people together.
Thanks to Eric and his team of “volunteer bunnies,” two spectacular Easter egg hunts will be taking place in and around Coeur d’Alene in the weeks, and days, leading up to Easter Sunday.
Special Needs Easter Egg Hunt
Eric will once again team up with Dana and Todd Bellefuille of The Village Bakery to host their Special Needs Easter Egg Hunt 2023. “This event really warms my heart,” shares Eric. The Easter Egg Hunt is geared toward children of all ages with special needs.
Balloons are tied to the candy-filled eggs so all eggs are easily accessible to all of those participating.
There are some special prize eggs as well, which have raffle tickets inside. The lucky children who end up with one of these eggs will get to choose one of the many Easter baskets donated by generous individuals and businesses throughout North Idaho.
2023 marks the third year of the event, which is scheduled for 11am on Saturday, April 1, at Majestic Park in Rathdrum.
North Idaho Easter Egg Hunt 2023
2023 marks Eric’s fourth year running the North Idaho Easter Egg Hunt. The hunt usually begins approximately three weeks prior to Easter. As Eric shares, “I have a huge tie in with a lot of the restaurants and food truck owners who donate gift certificates/cards, and I hide an egg in various cities throughout North Idaho [and] I'll post a picture and clue [of where to find the egg]. The person who finds it will win a gift certificate/card.”
Eric does this every day up until the Friday before Easter, and on the weekends, he puts on Easter Egg Hunts for kids at various parks throughout North Idaho. “I’ll scatter about 300 to 500 eggs filled with candy and some with special goodies in them,” he smiles.
The culmination of the great North Idaho Easter Egg Hunt takes place the Saturday before Easter, April 8, where roughly 10,000 eggs will be hidden (and some not so hidden) along the trail of Tubbs Hill in downtown Coeur d’Alene.
Keep an eye out for a North Idaho Easter Egg Hunt 2023 Facebook page, which should be out early March, according to Eric, as well as information on North Idaho Foodies Facebook page. There is where you can find details and clues about where eggs are hidden throughout local communities. Individuals or businesses that would like to get involved can reach out to Eric on Facebook Messenger or email him at erickensbock@gmail.com.
Happy hunting!