With Easter fast approaching, the city employees that make up South Valley are preparing by buying thousands of plastic eggs and bags of candy to satisfy even the sweetest sweet tooth. There will be Easter Egg Hunts happening in Riverton, Herriman and Bluffdale, so residents have a choice about where to take their families.

For Bluffdale residents, the Easter Egg Hunt will be on Saturday, April 4 at Bluffdale City Park, 14350 South 2200 West. The hunt is free and starts at 10 a.m. sharp. The Bluffdale Lions Club has sponsored this annual egg hunt for over 10 years. 

“This event is something that the Lions Club does for the community, so there’s no charge for it. We buy all the eggs and candy for it . . . We invite anyone who wants to come to come out,” Bluffdale Lions Club member Dean Compher said.

Compher said it takes about 10 volunteers from the Bluffdale Lions Club to run the event. The park will be divided into four areas, where four age groups will hunt separately. The age groups are 0 to 3, 4 to 6, 7 to 9 and 10 to 11. 

“We normally fill between 2,000 and 2,300 eggs. Plus, we have some other prizes and stuff too, and the entire hunts takes about 15 minutes,” Compher said.

There will also be prize stickers in some of the eggs in each age group. If kids find one of these, then they can redeem the sticker for a stuffed animal.

For Herriman residents, the Easter Egg Hunt will also be on Saturday, April 4 at 10 a.m. The hunt will take place at W & M Butterfield Park, 6212 West 14200 South. 

All kids are asked to bring a basket to put their eggs in, which will be filled with candy, cotton candy, popcorn, fruit snacks and even small toys. The park is divided into sections by age group: 0 to 2, 3 to 4, 5 to 6, 7 to 9 and 10 to 12. 

“We increase the amount of eggs this year,” Director of Communications Tami Moody said. “We also have a special section of our Easter egg hunt for kids with special needs, so that they can participate in the hunt as well.”

The Herriman Fire Department will bring a fire engine to sound the alarm to signal the beginning of the hunt. Members from both the Herriman Fire Department and Herriman Police Department will also be on hand to meet the kids and help out.

After the egg hunt, there will be a scavenger hunt. This aspect of the event is meant for kids who either didn’t get candy during the egg hunt, or those who might be intimated by large crowds. The scavenger area has candy hidden in straw for the kids to find.

For Riverton residents, there will be two free Easter events. Both will happen at the C.R. Hamilton Family Sports Complex, 3700 West 13800 South. The Teen Hunt is on Friday, April 3 at 9 p.m. and the Kids Hunt is on Saturday, April 4 at 10 a.m.

The teenagers are expected to dress warm and come with flashlights.

“There will be candy, trinkets and toys out on the lawn. Right at nine, they will hear a siren, and they just go and grab whatever they can get,” Youth City Council Coordinator Brittany Parker said.

After the hunt, there will be free doughnuts and hot chocolate for them to enjoy.

At the kid’s hunt, the hunting area will be divided by age group: 0 to 2, 3 to 5, 6 to 7, 8 to 9 and 10 to 12. The eggs will again be filled with toys and candy—some might even have cash in them.

The Easter Bunny will make an appearance at the egg hunt for the kids to meet throughout the event.

“We try to stress to people that they should get there early for both events,” Parker said.