The lawn in front of the Nature Center at Tippecanoe River State Park showed signs of green and something more this weekend with hundreds of plastic Easter eggs decorating the park for the its third annual Easter Egg Hunt.
Amanda Hinkel, assistant property manager at the park, says that the event is a great way to kick off the spring season.
“This is a great reason to have people come out here and enjoy the park,” said Hinkel. “They are welcome to come out here, enjoy some fresh air, run around, find some Easter eggs, and just have a great time!”
The event is free, but the usual park entry fee is still required. The egg hunt is open to all ages, and is split into four different age groups: ages one to four, five to eight, nine to 12, and 13 to 15. After the hunt, kids are encouraged to turn in their eggs to receive a bag of candy and treats.
Hinkel said they were expecting hundreds of people to come out for this year’s event, which took several months to plan and execute with the help of the Friends of the Tippecanoe River State Park who were also on-hand to offer free horse-drawn carriage rides both before and after the main event.
“People really enjoy being out here. They have such a good time with the kids running across the grass andpicking up eggs. It’s just really been very well-received by everyone,” said Hinkel.
Tippecanoe River State Park stretches roughly 2,800 acres and features 24 miles of hiking trails, designated camping areas, and even a 90-foot-tall fire tower that is open to the public. Not to mention, the Tippecanoe River offers opportunities for sightseeing, fishing, tubing, kayaking, and more.
Neil and Kari Hamilton of Winamac brought their children, Lyle, 8 and Addyson, 5, to the Easter egg hunt.
“My parents are members of the Friends of the Tippecanoe River State Park. This is our first Easter egg hunt with the kids and they’re having a blast!” said Kari Hamilton.
“Nice weather, nice turnout,” said husband Neil Hamilton. “It’s nice to get outside after a long winter; any outdoor time right now is just really great.”
Jasalynn Salyer of Winamac admits to being a huge fan of the park and brought her 18 month-old daughter Remi to the event.
“My husband and I actually got married out here three years ago,” said Salyer, who planned to next head to yet another Easter egg hunt in North Judson. “Remi is having so much fun, we’re just making up for lost time.”
Jack Burger, president of the Friends of the Tippecanoe River State Park, said that he really didn’t know what to expect from this year’s event.
“Last year’s event was, of course, a bit limited, so we weren’t sure how this year was going to go. But the weather was just great and we had a great turnout,” said Burger.
With so many activities, Burger was ultimately grateful to those who made the event as enjoyable as it was for those who attended.
“We had the carriage rides here and a lot of people really seemed to enjoy that, and I just want to thank everyone who worked so hard to make this happen, and of course all the people who came out here today to hunt for eggs and have some fun,” said Burger.
Tippecanoe River State Park is located in the heart of Pulaski County, on US Hwy 35. For more information, visit them online at: https://www.in.gov/dnr/state-parks/parks-lakes/tippecanoe-river-state-park/.
