Jarrod R. Kohls
Staff Writer
There was no shortage of Easter celebration opportunities on Saturday April 7 in the Delta as many of the area communities came together to hunt for eggs, art, and indulge in seasonal fare. In true Delta fashion, the dynamic of spring activities were as broad as the spectrum of those that reside within the vast confines of the thousands of miles of navigable of Delta waterways.
Early in the morning the youth of Locke gathered at the art gallery, known as The Shack, where artist Martha Esch provided an opportunity to create Easter themed paintings. The nearly dozen kids filled the floor space of the gallery while they painted photocopies of Easter eggs and paper bags that they would use to gather physical eggs that were hidden through Main Street in the historic river town.
“Main Street is such a great place to have an egg hunt,” said Esch who provided the bulk of the material for the day’s activities. “There are so many little nooks and crannies that make for great hiding spots.”
At the stroke of 10 a.m. the floodgate of excited children rushed down the street to discover the multitude of brightly colored eggs that shone brightly throughout the heart of the town. In a blink of an eye all of the beacons of the holiday were gathered and the spoils of the hunt were distributed evenly to all of the participants.
All but one of the eggs was discovered with a tactful ease. “The golden egg,” which was hidden by RNH staff, carried a particularly lucrative bounty. After many minutes of searching the egg was found near the front door of The Shack and the discoverer was given a massive inflatable Easter egg following its return to Esch.
Further down river in Isleton the Del Rio Lounge held its annual chili cook-off where for the entry fee of $10 participants were given an opportunity to test their mastery of the secret recipes against others in the community. The event, which ran from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. saw Michelle Zepeda take the gold medal while Sherry Mosiartte took second and Linda Allen placed third. The Del Rio event was concluded with live music that raged into the evening.
In Rio Vista the Union Baptist Church put on a remarkable event where a crowd with a population that hovered above 300 people. Complete with bounce houses, a petting zoo and complimentary food and drink (including hot dogs, lemonade and a fantastic assortment of colorful cupcakes), the event was a monumental undertaking.
Along with a cornucopia of raffle prizes, the church put together a massive egg hunt that spanned every square foot of grass of the churches property. For eight lucky children the possibility of winning one of the fleet of shiny new bicycles rested in the balance.
“We were out here very early this morning hiding all of the eggs,” said Rio Vista resident and photographer Richard Flink. “There are over 10,000 eggs out there. This is going to be an exciting event.”
Separated in to different age groups, the children who participated were invited to watch an Easter themed video before taking to the grass for the epic egg hunts.
Not only did the Delta Farmer’s Market offer its Saturday wine tasting and regional produce items, they were delighted to host the iconic Easter Bunny who was available for photo opportunities. The market was packed with passers by who dropped in to take part in the egg hunt, which the facility held in the orchards adjacent to Highway 12. With no parking to be found, the market was dense with satisfied customers and happy families. |
