Hippity hop to Florence's Eggstravaganza

Florence residents, get ready to hop on over to the town’s spring family friendly event.

The town of Florence will be hosting its annual Eggstravaganza from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, March 23 at Heritage Park, 600 N. Main St.

“Residents and friends of Florence, mark your calendars for our Easter Eggstravaganza,” Florence Mayor Tara Walter said. “Join us at Heritage Park … for a delightful morning of egg hunting, crafts and bunny-filled fun.”

Eggstravaganza will also feature a breakfast for the whole family. The little ones can then enjoy an egg hunt, bunny sack races, crafts and a cuddle with Hip Hop the bunny, said Jeff Graves, communications and intergovernmental manager for Florence.

This annual event draws hundreds of kids and parents to Heritage Park. But never fear, Hip Hop makes sure there are plenty of prize-filled plastic eggs at the Egg Scramble so every kid can get a basket-full of treats. Last year, Hip Hop dropped 12,000 eggs on Heritage Park.

Due to growing demand, this year the Egg Scramble will expand to two fields at Heritage Park.

Part of the Egg Scramble will be moved to new territory, the Territory Square Multi-Purpose Fields, that is.

This year, the town is introducing a Sensory Scramble at Territory Square, 174 W. First St. The Sensory Scramble offers a calmer egg-hunt experience for kids with sensory issues. Florence has been designated an Autism Certified City by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards.

In 2020, the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce began an effort to get the town autism certified. Maintaining certification requires several organizations and businesses to take part in autism training, including law enforcement, first responders and town community services staff.

Hip Hop will be meeting and greeting kids, as well as posing for photos. He’ll also be around for the bunny sack races. There will also be competitions such as the egg and spoon relay and three-legged race. All races will be split into age divisions ranging from toddlers to adults.

There will also be inflatables for kids to play on throughout the event.

Vendors will be on hand offering crafts and other treats for the entire family. Speaking of the entire family, Eggstravaganza isn’t forgetting the adults. There will be bingo for adults and the winners get a chance to claim prizes.

The event is free, but vendors will be charging for their wares and there is a cost for the breakfast.
The Pinal Mounted Posse will be offering a breakfast of three pancakes, two sausage links and a drink for $6 a plate. A kid’s plate with two pancakes, one sausage link and a drink will be available for $5. Additional sausage links are $1 each.

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