Kane County, Area Easter Egg Hunts: Find Them Here

KANE COUNTY, IL — Spring is here and as flowers slowly begin to bloom that can only mean one thing: Easter is right around the corner. And for kids — or, you know, youthful teens and adults — it's never too early to start thinking about hunting for colorful, candy-stuffed eggs. Luckily the folks at Easter Egg Hunts and Easter Events, plus some local sources, have Kane County covered.

Easter comes pretty late this year, falling on Sunday, April 21. (Last year it was on April 11 and the year before that it fell on April 16th.) As such, many egg hunts and other events across the country will be held either a day or a week before the holiday.

There will be several egg hunts and Easter events available this year for kiddos across Kane County and local towns. Here's a roundup of some of our favorites.

First Baptist Church of Elgin IL Easter egg hunt

• When: 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, April 20
• Where: 1735 W. Highland Avenue, Elgin
• Details: "Let the kids go crazy as they search for hundreds of hidden eggs, play games, do crafts - plus a free lunch for everyone. We may even get surprise visit from the Easter Bunny!" More info: fbcelgin.com/easter

The Great Bunny Search

• When: Trains depart 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 and 20.
• Where: Trains depart from John Duerr Forest Preserve, 35W003 State Route 31, South Elgin at the above times.
• Details: $14 per person. Please note that all persons regardless of size or age must be ticketed. The Easter trolley rides include a stop for an Easter egg hunt and a story reading. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit foxtrolley.org/great-bunny-search.

First Baptist Church of Geneva Easter Eggstravaganza Easter egg hunt

• When: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, April 6
• Where: West Campus, 3435 Keslinger Road, Geneva
• Details: Free; no registration required. "Families travel together on an indoor scavenger hunt to find some of our 15,000 candy-filled eggs! Drawings for fun prizes including 2 GRAND PRIZES - BICYCLES." >> More info.

Annual Batavia Easter Egg Hunt - New location!

• When: 10 a.m. Saturday, April 13
• Where: Rotolo Middle School, 1501 S. Raddant Road
• Details: Free; don't forget a basket. "All little bunnies are invited to hop on over for the annual Easter Egg Hunt! Be sure to get here early to see the Easter Bunny. Everyone should meet at the middle school by 9:45 a.m.! Group leaders will divide children into age groups and take them to their separate hunt areas." More info.: bataviaparks.org

This list will continue to be updated. Send information on local Easter events and egg hunts to rebecca.bream@patch.com.

While not technically a federal holiday, Americans love themselves some Easter. In fact, 84 percent of Americans planned to celebrate the holiday last year, according to Statista. The figures were based on a survey of more than 1,000 Americans between 18 and 64 years old.

The National Retail Federation puts that number at closer to 80 percent and says those people will drop on average $151 per person on goods such as clothing, candy, cards and flowers.
The most popular Easter traditions, according to Statista, include giving out candy-stuffed baskets (60 percent), hunting for eggs (57 percent), painting eggs (55 percent) and going to church (51 percent).

Less popular activities included going to an Easter party — yes, that's apparently a thing — attending a parade, egg rolling, and eating hot cross buns, which are just buns marked with a cross that contain dried fruit. They're traditionally eaten during Lent.

The Statista survey also showed how diverse Americans really are. As you probably know, Easter is traditionally a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, people started painting and decorating Easter eggs during the 13th century.

"The church prohibited the eating of eggs during Holy Week, but chickens continued to lay eggs during that week, and the notion of specially identifying those as 'Holy Week' eggs brought about their decoration," the encyclopedia page states. "The egg itself became a symbol of the Resurrection."

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.