Every year, seemingly, it grows larger. The annual children’s festival began when jeweler George Adeler stuffed a few gems in randomly selected eggs and “hid” them on the open expanse of the lawn in the Village Centre in Great Falls.
With lots of help from the Great Falls Friends, the Optimists of Great Falls and local businesses, the festival has grown to include carnival rides and entertainment that lasts for more than two hours before the children line up in age groups to collect the eggs.
The eggs have been stuffed by volunteers who pack them full of candy and a few gems to surprise them; mostly, their moms get those after the children have removed the candy.
As the festival has grown, so has Adeler’s family.
His first granddaughter, Eden Grace, will be joined this fall by a sibling and two twin cousins, Adeler said.
By next year, the egg hunt should be even more interesting for the Adelers.
<tl>-Beverly Crawford