Easter 2021: Egg Hunts, Services And Meals In And Near Tucson

TUCSON, AZ — Easter celebrations across the country and in Tucson will look different from ever before in 2021 as traditional events such as egg hunts, religious services and restaurant deals will go on virtually as well as in person.

In Tucson, traditional, in-person service will be held on Easter Sunday at the following locations:

• Good Friday Service at Sabino Road Baptist Church (2710 N. Sabino Canyon Rd., Tucson)
• Good Friday Service at Christ Community Church (530 S. Pantano Rd., Tucson)
• Good Friday Service at Hilton El Conquistador Resort (10000 N. Oracle Rd., Tucson)
• Easter service at Journey Church (4700 N. Swan Rd., Tucson)
• Sunrise Egg Hunt and Easter Service at Catalina Foothills Church (6450 N. Camino Miraval, Tucson)
• Easter Sunrise Service at Rincon Mountain Church (8445 E. Tanque Verde Rd., Tucson)
• Calvary Tucson East (8711 E. Speedway Blvd., Tucson)
• Easter at Grace Church of Sahuarita (2301 E. Sahuarita Rd., Sahuarita)
• Easter Family Service at Journey Church 4700 N. Swan Rd., Tucson)

Additional Good Friday and Easter Sunday services can be found here.

Easter egg hunts are a tad different from years past, with social distancing and masks required at most events. Here are some of the events that will be held this weekend in Tucson:

• April 3: Hoppy Easter Event at Our Play Place, 9-10:30 a.m., 3951 W. Costco Dr., Tucson, free
• April 3: Family Easter Egg Hunt at Saguaro Canyon Church, 10-11 a.m., 10111 E. Old Spanish Tr., Tucson, free
• April 3: Drive-Thru Easter Eggstravaganza, Naranja Park, 10am-noon, 810 W. Naranja Dr., Oro Valley, free
• April 3: Easter EGGstravaganza, Church of the Nazarene, 6:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m., 500 W. Calle Concordia, Oro Valley, free

More Easter egg hunts in Tucson and the surrounding area can be found here.

When it comes to food in Tucson and surrounding areas, several restaurants are offering brunch deals for patrons, including the following:

• Penzi's Birthday Breakfast at Reid Park Zoo, 7:30-9 a.m., Reid Park Zoo, 3400 E. Zoo Court, Tucson. $50-60.
• Easter Brunch at Cafe a la C'Art, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., 150 N. Main Ave., Tucson.
• Tableside Easter Brunch at Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch Resort, 5501 N. Hacienda Del Sol Rd., Tucson. $45.
• Easter Brunch & Activities at JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa, 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd., Tucson.

Additional Easter brunch deals in Tucson and surrounding areas can be found here.

Mostly religious services went virtual during the Easter season last year, when the coronavirus pandemic was still fairly new and most states remained under strict shutdown orders in mid-April.

This year, there’s more of a combination of virtual and in-person services taking place with the pandemic having passed the one-year mark.

Many major American archdioceses, such as in Chicago, will continue to hold virtual services that will be streamed throughout Holy Week, which includes the Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday and Good Friday holidays leading up to Easter.

Good Friday, on April 2 this year, marks the death of Jesus Christ. Easter, two days later, celebrates the time when he was resurrected.

The Sunday holiday always occurs on the Sunday after the first full moon of spring, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Religious traditions on Good Friday include periods of silence and fasting for many Christians, prominently in the Catholic faith. Fairfax United Methodist Church in Virginia is also streaming its Holy Week services, with an in-person service offered to a limited number of attendees on Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter.

Many Protestant churches will have their traditional sunrise services with social distancing in mind.

The Daytona Beach Drive-In Christian Church is having its services on Easter morning, while the Colorado Council of Churches canceled its service at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre and instead will have Bishop Kym Lucas of the Episcopal Church in Colorado lead a virtual service.

One of the most celebrated Easter traditions outside of church is the Easter egg hunt, many of which were canceled last year but will return in some form in 2021.

In La Grange, Kentucky, an egg hunt is planned in conjunction with a drive-in theater and movie; and St. John’s United Methodist Church in Rock Hill, South Carolina, already held its egg hunt over two sessions, with early sign-ups required.