An egg-cellent Sea Cliff tradition celebrates 25 years

What began as a small-scale search in Sea Cliff’s Elm Park has egg-sploded into a beloved, village-wide tradition for families new and old. For the past two decades, Elm Park, also known as Spooky Park, has been the site of an annual community Easter egg hunt, an opportunity for Sea Cliff’s children to scavenge the grounds in pursuit of plastic play eggs.

This year, the hunt celebrated its 25th anniversary and was co-hosted by the Good of the Village Association. Resident Gwynne Lennon, who lives across the street from the park, was one of the original organizers. In the beginning, only 10 families participated in the hunt, she said. Last Friday, nearly 100 children showed up to search for eggs.

“Twenty-five years ago, the neighbors would get together in the park and the kids would just run around and play,” Lennon said. “Then my neighbor, Janice McGuirl, came up with the idea to have an egg hunt. We had such a ball that we ran with it.”

Every year Elm Park neighbors post fliers around the village to advertise the event. As it grew, they asked the Department of Public Works to cordon off part of the street across from the park so residents could be safe while enjoying themselves.

Since the hunt is designed for younger children, older children who age out are asked to help hide the eggs. “They have just as much fun helping out, and helping their younger brothers and sisters,” Lennon said.

Residents are asked to donate filled, plastic eggs to Lennon’s house ahead of the event. She said even before the hunt is advertised, every year bags full of eggs appear on her porch two weeks before Easter, almost like magic. “People still drop off eggs no matter what the weather is going to be,” she said. “There’s a certain kind of magic to it.”

Lennon said she believes the event endures because of its ability to bring residents from all walks of life together in spirited celebration of village life and the Easter holiday. “This attracts dads, moms, babysitters, grandparents, new parents,” she said. “I met one dad who was moving here with his son, but he didn’t even move to Sea Cliff yet.”

More, it allows the children of Sea Cliff to just have fun. “It’s really ready, set, go,” Lennon said describing the atmosphere at the egg hunt. “You can’t hold those two-year-olds back.”