Zelienople hopping with Easter activities on Holy Saturday
ZELIENOPLE — Hundreds of families came to town for three annual Easter activities on Holy Saturday.
The morning began with “Breakfast with the Bunny” at the English Lutheran Church on Grandview Avenue. Families made reservations to have breakfast and take photos with the Easter bunny in the social hall.
The big event was the Easter egg hunt at Zelienople Community Park where 4,000 colorful plastic eggs filled with candy were quickly scooped up by a throng of children.
“We always have fun,” Melanie Harter of Ellwood City, said about the Easter egg hunt. She came with her husband Zach and their son Byrson, 3.
“It’s so much busier than last year. Twice as busy,” Zach Harter said. “We like it.”
Melanie said they also came to see the Model Train Club of Zelienople’s Easter train display adjacent to the park at Harmony Lodge No. 429.
Kyle and Holly Eslinger of Zelienople and their young sons Luke and Oliver also came to the egg hunt and train display. Luke and Oliver managed to get a few eggs during the frenzied hunt.
“We should have started on the outside and worked toward the middle,” Kyle said, questioning his family’s egg search strategy.
“We had a great time,” Kyle said.
John and Adrienne Essey, of Allison park, and their three children Ari, Margo and Sterling gathered basket loads of eggs in their first visit to the event.
“Get them all sugared up for the ride home,” John said.
The family planned to spend the rest of the day exploring the borough and looking for place to get a bit to eat, Adrienne said.
Next door at the lodge, Matt Beahm, cofounder of the Model Train club of Zelienople, used an Easter basket to pass out small wood cutouts of trains that children could take home and color.
Adding to the display was over 80 drawings of trains from the second-grade class at Rowan Elementary School in the Seneca Valley School District.
Justin and Malea McConnell of New Castle brought their children Carson and Skylar and other family members to the display after the egg hunt for the first time. Justin said the children enjoyed both activities.
“They’re having fun. That what matters,” he said.
The Easter train display is one of four the club puts on every year at the lodge, where the club meets twice a month. The other displays are held July 4 weekend, Oct. 31 and Dec. 3-5. Beahm said the July 4 weekend event will feature a large display to celebrate America 250.
