Time to Hop Down to Sea Isle Easter Program

By Maddy Vitale Sea Isle City kids are lucky. The Easter Bunny may be busy getting ready for Sunday - but he still makes time to hop over to the City’s Dealy Field Playground for a visit, egg hunts, face painting and lots of fun. On Wednesday at 5 p.m. children 11 and under and their families can head over to the playground at 6108 Central Ave. for the free festivities. The children will be separated into three age groups, so the little kids don’t have to compete with the bigger kids, officials explained. Families only need two things to attend. Easter baskets or bags so the kids can gather treats during the egg hunts and a cellphone or camera to capture the wonderful memories, said Sea Isle City Spokeswoman and Director of Community Services Katherine Custer. Whether it is a prize or candy, there is something sweet for all the kids. (Courtesy City of Sea Isle) “All of the children who attend the Easter Program walk home with goodies they collect during the egg hunts,” Custer said. “All of the eggs come with prizes and candy.” Custer said kids love the event so much, families come from not only Sea Isle, but the surrounding communities. “It’s very popular. We regularly see parents and sometimes grandparents in attendance who participated in the egg hunts when they were kids. It is definitely a family tradition for some folks,” she said.  While Custer did not know the exact year Easter egg hunts began in Sea Isle, she believes it has been around 50 years. “Last week, I was speaking with a lady who grew up in Sea Isle City. She said the egg hunts were a ‘very big deal’ when she was a kid and they were very well-attended,” Custer added.  Mike McHale, former mayor and former president of the Sea Isle City Historical Museum, has lived in Sea Isle since 1976. He has four children in their 20s to their 40s. Now he gets to watch his grandkids enjoy the fun. “My kids always had a great time at the event,” McHale said. “We are very family oriented. There is always a good turnout for the event. It is a good experience for the kids. Now I get to see my grandkids go and have a lot of fun.” The Easter Program is sponsored and hosted by the City’s Division of Recreation / Department of Community Services. City employees handle the event. For more details about Sea Isle City’s Easter Program, call the Recreation Office at (609) 263-0050.  Everyone wants to see the Easter bunny, including Alexa Campilango, her mom and her baby Adriana, of Sea Isle. (Courtesy City of Sea Isle)