Eastside ‘Egg Hunt’ leaves hundreds of lasting smiles

INCLUDES EGG-CITING VIDEO | This is the big ‘Easter Egg Hunt’ that drew families from outer East Portland – and beyond – to Oaks Amusement Park …

At Oaks Amusement Park, volunteers spread thousands of Easter Eggs across the lawn, preparing for this year’s Egg Hunt.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

It’s amazing how an event that lasts only few minutes after it begins can delight hundreds of families, as did the 2024 SMILE Egg Hunt on Saturday morning March 30 at Oaks Amusement Park.

Watch the excitement mount, and the fun, brief-yet-exhilarating Egg Hunt take place, in our exclusive video:

For decades, the Sellwood Moreland Improvement League (SMILE) neighborhood association has hosted these events. Their Easter Egg Hunts drew several dozen families to the low-key event.

Since being moved to Oaks Amusement Park last year, the event has grown considerably. Now, families from outer East Portland – as well as those from East Multnomah County, Clackamas County – come out to participate this event.

Planting eggs before the “hunt” is volunteer and SMILE Board Member Suzanne Kruse.

Throughout the morning, families made their way into the park and began to find their places near The Oaks Outdoor Pavilion – and by 10:30 a.m. it had swelled into a crowd.

Pausing from placing eggs to tell about the annual egg hunt is SMILE Board and Events Committee Member Zack Duffly.

“Here we are, in ‘Picnic Area #9’ at The Oaks, again this year,” SMILE Board Member, and Events Committee member Zack Duffly, told East Portland News while he was spreading colorful plastic eggs.

“I think this is exactly the kind of event that SMILE typically provides the community, because it brings folks together,” Duffly observed. “It’s a chance to come outside at the beginning of spring in good weather, to see neighbors, and let local folks meet new friends. And, of course, to find some candy.”

The Craig family – they live in far outer East Portland – gets a photo with The Bunny before the “hunt” begins.

Families gathering for the Egg Hunt at Oaks Park gaze at the thousands of colorful Easter Eggs spread out near and far on the amusement park’s lawn.

More than two dozen volunteers stuffed some 6,000 plastic eggs with candy over the preceding weeks. “Many of the Easter Bunny’s ‘helpers’ were with the Westmoreland Presbyterian Church; and I know that SMILE Board President David Dugan did his share as well,” Duffly grinned.

Kids line up, grouped by age range, ready to gather as many Easter Eggs as they could.

As 11 a.m. approached, an estimated 400 families had gathered – with the children grouped by age – eagerly waiting behind suspended red plastic tape. With megaphone in hand, SMILE Board President David Dugan counted down the minutes – and then the seconds – until sounding a horn to start of the dash for candy.

Within minutes, all of the eggs were scooped up by happy kids.

As in past years, the egg hunt was over in less than five minutes. But memories of the fun, aided by all the photos taken by parents, will last much longer.

The SMILE Egg Hunt was sponsored by the Sellwood Moreland Improvement League, Oaks Amusement Park, and Moreland Presbyterian Church.

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