By Josh Lanier
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It was one of the first fair-weather spring days of the year Saturday during Concord Parks and Recreation’s seventh annual Bunny Bash, the city’s Easter celebration.
With temperatures in the mid-70s, little cloud cover and a slow cool breeze wafting across W.W. Flowe Park, hundreds turned out for the games, Easter egg hunts and events.
“I feel like a 42-year-old guy getting to be a 12-year-old again,” Bob Curth said after the adult Easter egg hunt.
Curth was in attendance with his wife and three children — ages 2, 5 and 10 — and said he enjoyed getting to watch his kids have fun.
“It’s great for them and us,” he said. “There is a lot to do out here.”
Officials erected a climbable rock wall, inflatable jumping equipment and had the Easter Bunny on hand for photos.
“This is just so nice,” Vickie Bollinger said. “It gets the children involved and really starts off the Easter celebrations.”
Bollinger stood next to her grandchildren, Madison Strube and Colby Woodard, as they parsed through their basket of Easter eggs collected during the earlier hunt.
“I got a tattoo, isn’t it nice?” asked 6-year-old Madison with a big smile as she broke open one of the eggs. “I also got candy.”
The egg hunts were held on baseball fields at the park. Outfields were blanketed with the multi-colored eggs prior to the start call.
It took less than a minute for the 5 to 7-year-olds to remove all of the eggs.
Students with the Concord Youth Council worked the Bunny Trail, a multi-stop walkway with games for children and prizes.
“It’s really a lot of fun to be out here and work with the kids,” said Carson Coggins, a member of the youth council. “It is nice to see them as they go by.”
Coggins said he didn’t mind singing and dancing for the event as he portrayed “Ryan,” a fictional character from the hit-TV movie “High School Musical.”
Also on hand for the event was the Concord Police K-9 Unit, which gave a demonstration on how police dogs are used on patrols. Other officers and Concord Fire and Life Safety educators were also on hand giving safety tips to children and parents.
Many of the families in attendance said they had been to several of the previous Bunny Bash’s, which were held at Frank Liske Park. Others, who were first-time visitors of the event, said they attended after speaking with friends who had previously attended the event.
“I’ve always heard this is so much fun,” Melva Drye said. “Who wouldn’t want to be out in this beautiful weather and enjoying everything?”
• Contact Josh Lanier: 704- 789-9144.