Eggs can be prepared and eaten hundreds of ways. But come Easter time every year, they come off the plate and into the basket.

Easter egg hunts are an annual tradition for many families and communities. This year is no exception, and there will be plenty of chances this weekend in and out of Auburn to participate.

Around town, there will be the mainstay events that have been around for generations - egg hunts in Hoopes and Harmon parks in Auburn, as well as the annual one at Clift Park in Skaneateles.

For those who wish to take a drive, a new event will be held at the Montezuma Audubon Center in Savannah. And the children who show up might learn something more than where to find a colored egg.

On Saturday, the center will host an educational hunt, as well as an opportunity to dye your own eggs and build nests to hold them. According to the center's education manager Carol Stokes-Cawley, children who participate in the free hunt will receive a sheet of 14 nature-related trivia questions. Hidden around the visitor's center will be plastic eggs containing the answers to all the questions.

Everyone who is able to match the answers with the questions will win a treat, Stokes-Cawley said.

For a fee, children and families can dye eggs with natural materials and build their own bird nests. There will be model nests from native birds that people can use for inspiration, Stokes-Cawley said.

This is the first Easter activity the Montezuma Audubon Center is hosting since it opened in 2007. Stokes-Cawley said she would like it to become an annual event if it is successful.

“It's nice to have a program you do every year that people can expect,” she said.

For those who wish to stay closer to home, the Fleming-Owasco Kiwanis Club is sponsoring the 60th annual Hoopes Park event, during which organizers hide thousands of eggs and visitors get a chance to meet the Easter Bunny.

Another local Easter event will continue years of tradition in Skaneateles. The Skaneateles Area Chamber of Commerce will host the 10 a.m. event at Clift Park on Genesee Street.

The participating children will be divided into age groups before setting off to find 4,000 hidden eggs. Most of the plastic eggs will be filled with candy, and about 500 will have special prizes donated by local businesses.

Susan Dove of the chamber said local students donate their time to hide the eggs for the decades-old event, which is free and does not require registration.

“Just show up and bring a bag or a basket,” Dove said.

Christopher Caskey

253-5311 ext. 282

christopher.caskey@lee.net

If you go: Saturday Easter Egg Hunts

(All events are free unless otherwise noted)

• 10 a.m. at Hoopes Park, East Genesee Street, Auburn

• 10 a.m. at Fleming Fire Department No. 2, Route 34, Fleming

• 10 a.m. at Clift Park, Genesee Street, Skaneateles

• 10:30 a.m. at the Montezuma Audubon Visitor Center, Route 89, Savannah

• 11 a.m. at Harmon Park, Booker T. Washington Community Center, Chapman Avenue, Auburn

• 2 p.m. at Meridian Fire Department Hall, Meridian

How to host your own egg hunt

• Have extra baskets for children who don't remember to bring their own.

• Hide empty plastic eggs for children to trade for treats after the hunt. This gets them involved without the fear of competition.

• Don't forget: Young children can choke on small toys and treats like jellybeans.

• Have a first aid kit on hand for any accidents.

- Source: www.ehow.com