JORDAN and AURELIUS - What would the Easter season be without an Easter egg hunt?

Two of the many hunts taking place on Saturday were at St. Patrick's Church in Jordan and at the Fingerlakes Mall in Aurelius.

St. Patrick's has been holding Easter egg hunts for more than 15 years. Carol Smart, egg hunt organizer, said that 400 plastic eggs were scattered in plain view, and about 30 children came hunting for them.

"The plastic eggs are filled with candy, and there is a special egg with a prize for the winner," Smart said.

The hunt is organized into three different sections: ages infant to 4; 5 to 7; and 8 and older. Each section has its own "special egg."

"Good morning, boys and girls," the Rev. John DeLorenzo, pastor of St. Patrick's, said. "Are you ready?"

"Yes!" the children shouted.

A tall, white Easter bunny gathered the children outside in the parking lot and promptly signaled the hunt to begin at 9 a.m. Despite the drizzle and a little mud, the children were eager to find the eggs and put them in their baskets. If they forgot a basket, the church supplied containers.

In Aurelius, the Fingerlakes Mall had its inaugural Easter egg hunt at 11 a.m. The event required preregistration, and Tracy Murphy, events manager for the mall, said 120 children, ages 6 and younger, participated.

"We would have had more than 200," Murphy said, "but because of fire codes and the enclosed space, we had to turn some away. Next year we may have to do a couple of separate ones," she said.

Read the full report in Sunday's edition of The Citizen.