Stella Roth, 5, of Harmony shows her parents, Katie and Sean Roth, the golden egg she found at the Preston Park Easter Egg Hunt onSunday. "I've never found a golden one" she excitedly told them.Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle 04/10/22

More than 150 children swarmed toward a grassy field filled with plastic eggs of springtime colors.

The Butler County Chamber of Commerce partnered with the Butler Township board of supervisors to host a free Easter egg hunt Sunday at Preston Park, which included the hunt and a visit with the Easter bunny.

Children were separated into two age groups across two sessions. The early session included ages one through five, and the later session included children ages six through eight.

Bundled up in a coat and bunny ears, Stella Roth, 5, scrambled around alongside her parents, Katie and Sean of Harmony. Amid the blues, greens and yellows, Stella happened across a glinting golden egg.

“She liked finding the golden egg, seeing what type of candy was inside them and taking a picture with the bunny,” Katie Roth said.

Katie Roth said her daughter hadn’t done an egg hunt in a couple years, and she was thankful to the Chamber for providing the opportunity.

“She was really excited to come,” Katie Roth said. “She asked if we were almost there the whole way here.”

Mila Wojcik, 4, shows her mother, Brianne Wojcik, some of the candy she found in an egg at the Preston Park Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday. Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle 04/10/22

Also excited was Marcella Schubl, 4, who excitedly pulled stickers from her basket and started putting them on one by one.

“I got 13 eggs. I had a pink one,” said Marcella, who wore a fluffy pink coat. “I really like the stickers.”

Her mother Marketa Schublova, of Slippery Rock, said this was the first time the two had visited Preston Park, and it was a great inaugural experience.

“This is a beautiful park, and this is really cool,” Schublova said. “They had a lot of eggs for the kiddos. None of them left empty-handed.”

According to one of the event’s organisers Caitlin Lokhaiser, 3,300 eggs were each packed with candy or a prize slip. The prize slips could be turned in for a special Easter basket containing more candy, chalk, bubbles, Play-Doh and a bicycle helmet.

“I did want to have prizes that weren’t just chocolate and sugar, something they could play with outside also,” Lokhaiser said.

Piper Williams, 1, of Renfrew carries an empty plastic egg, walking around with her family after the Preston Park Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday. Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle 04/10/22

Lokhaiser said this year’s hunt already gave them new ideas on how to expand and improve it for next year, beyond the obvious importance of bringing even more eggs.

“This is the first time the Butler County Chamber has put this on, but being that the turnout was really great, we’re going to keep it going,” Lokhaiser said. “It’s good to bring the community together.”

Schublova said felt the event was well-organized. She said beyond the hunt itself, there was virtually no line to see the Easter bunny. She said everyone was friendly and all enjoying themselves.

“Seeing the kids running around, I think that’s the best part,” Schublova said. “They did an awesome job, and we’ll definitely come back next year.”

Marcella nodded in agreement.