It's hard to believe that spring is almost here. For most teenagers this can only mean one thing: prom season. Various stores throughout the mall will be displaying the newest fashions and styles. Spring also means that the Easter Bunny will be hopping his way into the Fingerlakes Mall. The bunny will be available for visits and photos in the center court near the Customer Service Center from March 1 through March 22. The hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Fridays, noon to 8 p.m. Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. Sundays and noon to 8 p.m. on Good Friday. Each child who visits the Easter Bunny will receive a free coloring book and crayons sponsored by Fun & Games Arcade; the offer is good while supplies last. Anyone interested in working with the Easter Bunny can apply at the Mall Office from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays only. Not only will you get to see the Bunny on March 1 but Fancy Footwork Dance Studio by Mary Jo Pelc will show off their amazing dance moves with a performance at 5 p.m. directly in front of the Bunny Park.

Spring may be around the corner but it's still too cold out for your tots to hunt for those Easter Eggs. Bring your child to a safe, temperature controlled environment at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 15, for lots of fun and great prizes. The event is for children ages 6 and younger only. This event will be held in a store space, therefore space is limited, so register soon at customer service. You will receive an official Easter bag with a gift inside and just remember that the bag is your ticket to get into the Easter Egg Hunt. We would like to thank all of the mall stores who donated great prizes.

We hope to see all you brides to be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 2, for the annual Bridal Show. Bridal shows are an excellent opportunity for you to meet a variety of vendors available to help you create the perfect wedding.

Not only will you get great advice but there will be free food, great door prizes and an excellent fashion show.

Antoinette's Bridal, Tuxedo Junction, The Deb Shop, Maurice's and many more will be showing off their latest styles, accessories, health and beauty products and other items.

Beat your cabin fever by joining us in kicking off the annual Youth Fair. On Saturday, March 8, local community organizations, including the Cayuga County Health Department, SS Peter & Paul School, the Auburn YMCA, Cornell Cooperative Extension, SAVAR, the Girl Scouts and dozens more will have games, prizes, face painting, music and many more free fun activities for the whole family. On this same day, the Cayuga County Council of Boy Scouts hosts the annual Cub Scouts Pinewood Derby in center court.

The Cub Scouts will race wooden cars that they built. This event has been held for many years at the mall and is always a crowd pleaser.

We would like to thank Amber Horton, Jeff Gray and Eric Conway, who are the interns from the BOCES New Visions Business and Marketing Communication Program. For three weeks at the Fingerlakes Mall, they were able to be a part of the many upcoming projects and events. The many events in the next month are dedicated to the children and families in our community.

All these events are sure to bring more visitors to our mall and help each of us enjoy the strong community spirit. We look forward to working with the next group of interns.

March isn't the only month dedicated to the community. Mark your calendars on April 26 for “Family Fun Day.”

Moms, dads and children should get ready for a fun-filled day at the Fingerlakes Mall. Stay tuned for more details.

We are excited to announce that FYE will host a special guest appearance by Aulando Frazier at 3 and 6 p.m. April 5. Stick around after the shows for a meet and greet session with Aulando. You can check out his music at http://www.myspace.com/afrazmusic. Don't forget, you can also check out our Web site to stay informed on all of the upcoming events and if you have any concert dates in mind, don't forget FYE is here to help you get your tickets, with an in-store Ticketmaster for your convenience.

Tracie Murphy is the marketing manager for the Fingerlakes Mall.