It is a time of faith, family gatherings and beautiful Sunday dresses. It's also a time to hunt for candy-filled or brightly colored eggs, enjoy plentiful brunches and await toy-filled baskets, and visit with a special holiday bunny.
Easter encompasses all these activities, and at Lake of the Ozarks, residents and visitors can partake in community Easter egg hunts, enjoy family reunions at top resorts for Easter brunch, and have a slew of wonderful churches to celebrate the holiday.
In Lake Area tradition, the 12th Annual Eldon Easter Egg-stravaganza saw hundreds of children and their families attend this free community event, which is sponsored by the Eldon First Assembly of God church, Saturday at the Miller County Fairgrounds in Eldon.
Parents enjoyed watching their children interact with clowns, listen to music from bands such as Flames, Dixieland Garage and Brian Mace, play games, bounce around on inflatables and hunt for prize and candy filled Easter eggs.
The event held four egg hunts throughout the four-hour long festival for tiered in tiered age groups for children 1 to 12 years old. The children also found grand prize eggs in their respective age divisions, plus one family received a large reward during a special drawing.
For those wanting to visit with the Easter Bunny and seek out eggs filled with candy and prizes, the Lake Area offers a variety of community hunts and special events today and during the upcoming holiday weekend.
Today
An Easter Hop Dance is scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m. today at the Camden County Museum. The Lake Jazz Band will entertain guests for their listening and dancing pleasure with sounds of Big Band style music. Admission is $6 per person.
For more information, call 573-346-7191 or visit www.camdencountymuseum.com.
Saturday, April 19
The Versailles Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Easter Egg Hunt at 11 a.m. Saturday at its location in Versailles. More than 2,000 plastic eggs were stuffed with candy. The Easter Bunny will also be on site to visit with children attendees.
Good Shepherd Nursing Home is located at 1101 West Clay Rd. in Versailles. The event is free and open to the public. For more information about the Egg Hunt, call 573-378-4401.
Stone Crest Mall will offer pictures with The Easter Bunny from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Stonecrest Book & Toy at the indoor shopping center, which is across from Hy-Vee in Osage Beach. A nominal fee is requested.
For more information, call the Stone Crest Mall office at 573-348-3106 or visit www.shopstonecrestmall.com.
The New Life Church of the Nazarene in Camdenton will hold a community Easter egg hunt event from 1 to 3 p.m.
Starting at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, children up 12 years old and younger can venture out on the quest to find more than 2,000 candy and prize filled Easter eggs at its location, which is at 135 Bear Paw Road near north Highway 5 in Camdenton. Children can also enjoy cotton candy, a photo booth, face painting, balloons and visits with Sparkie da Clown. For more information, call the church office at 573-873-9593.
The Mother Nature's Riverfront Retreat, formerly Tunnel Dam Garden Center, will hold an Easter Egg Hunt, which is open to the public, Saturday, April 19 at its location at 878 Gardens Road in Macks Creek.
The gates open at 1:30 p.m. and the egg hunt begins at 3 p.m. The event includes Easter Bunny visits, games, prizes, food, petting zoo, bouncy house, cupcake walk, arts and crafts vendors, and many other activities. Children are also encouraged to print out a special Easter Bunny poster available on the center's website, color it, and bring it to the event for a chance to win a prize.
The campground is also open for picnics and fishing, rain or shine during this event as well. Cost is $5 per carload. For more information, call 573-363-5408 or 573-873-2009, or visit www.mothernaturesriverfrontretreat.com.
The Third Annual Adult Easter Egg Hunt is planned for Saturday at Dogwood Hills Golf Course in Osage Beach. Registration begins at 3 p.m. with an egg hunt starting at 4 p.m. Participants 21 and older present a valid ID.
More than 400 filled eggs and a Golden Easter Egg grand prize of $1,000 are included in the hunt. Food and drink specials are available, and the event is held rain or shine.
Admission is $12 for early bird tickets or $15 at the door. For more information, call 573-348-1735 or visit www.dogwoodhillsresort.com.
Sunday, April 20
The KidzLife Easter Celebration will be held Sunday at the First Family Church off Highway 42 (across from School of the Osage campus) in Osage Beach. Guests can enjoy a variety of Easter-related activities, games and prizes. For more information, call the church at 573-302-0223 or visit www.myfirstfamily.org.
The "He is Risen" annual Easter performance, which is free and open to the public, will take place at 8:30 a.m. at Kent Memorial Lutheran Church in Sunrise Beach.
In its 46th performance, the "He is Risen" production featuring 40 performers depicts the story of the Easter resurrection with music and will be held on the grounds of the church. This is open to the public.
For more information, call 573-374-8077.
The City of Laurie Parks and Recreation Department will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt starting at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Hillbilly Fairgrounds, off Route O in Laurie. Children up to age 12 can search through the fairgrounds for more than 10,000 eggs, which will be hidden carefully and timed to each age group's abilities.
Four age groups will have different Easter Egg Hunt times including: ages 1-3, 4-6, 7-9 and ages 10-12. Prizes will be available for every child. Also, come early at 1:30 p.m. to take a picture with the Easter Bunny. For more information, call 573-374-8776 or visit www.cityoflaurie.com.