- April 27, 2024
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Becca Powell of Sarasota Jungle Gardens explains about owls to 3-year-old Eliana Egan and 4-year-old Macallister Egan
Photo by Ian SwabyDeva Vaden and 4-year-old Vesper Vaden meet a lemur presented by Cassandra Daly of Big Cat Habitat.
Photo by Ian Swaby5-year-old Saylor Thompson, 4-year-old Charlotte Snyder, and 5-year-old Amelia Johnson meet a corn snake from Sarasota Jungle Gardens.
Photo by Ian Swaby4-year-old Henry Inman shows a toy dinosaur he found in his egg to his mother Melissa Inman.
Photo by Ian Swaby5-year-old Alex Martinez participates in Easter coloring.
Photo by Ian SwabyJoe Kiss, 7-year-old Pippa Neff, Katie Neff, 4-year-old Axel Neff (junior), Axel Neff (senior), and 2-year-old Archer Neff.
Photo by Ian Swaby2-year-old Christopher Geisel finds the egg jackpot at the 2023 Siesta Key Easter Egg Hunt.
Photo by Ian Swaby8-year-old Joey Barak selects the perfect prize for bean bag toss with his mother Tiffany Barak.
Photo by Ian SwabyShelbie Palmer helps 4-year-old Caleb Palmer and 3-year-old Owen Palmer create wristbands at the Girl Scouts station.
Photo by Ian Swaby1-year-old Micha Palmer and Patricia Pool
Photo by Ian Swaby6-year-old George Barnet prepares to make a throw in a game of bean bag toss.
Photo by Ian Swaby4-year-old Aria Pocius gets an up-close encounter with an alligator from Sarasota Jungle Gardens.
Photo by Ian SwabyShawn Egan, 3-year-old Eliana Egan, Wendy Egan, and 4-year-old Macallister Egan
Photo by Ian SwabyThe Siesta Key Easter Egg Hunt was held on April 8, 2023.
Photo by Ian Swaby1-year-old Sage Leyendecker searches for even more eggs.
Photo by Ian Swaby6-year-old George Barnet, Mark Salander, Kiersten Barnet, 2-year-old Elin Barnet, Minda Salander, and Alex Barnet
Photo by Ian SwabyKyle Martin, pictured with Colonel, was one of the deputies of the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office who attended to educate the public on the topic of mounted patrol.
Photo by Ian SwabyBecca Powell of Sarasota Jungle Gardens presents a hedgehog from Sarasota Jungle Gardens to 6-year-old Bradley Wade.
Photo by Ian SwabySiesta Key Chamber of Commerce Promotion and Event Manager Marisa Merlino with Walker Kinne and 8-year-old Liam Kinne
Photo by Ian SwabyPatty Casey said each year she volunteers at the annual Siesta Key Easter Egg Hunt, she enjoys watching the children visiting with their parents.
“I just love the kids,” said Casey, who serves as president of the Kiwanis Club of Siesta Key. “They get so excited.”
She said the April 8 event was an excellent multigenerational opportunity that provides many children, whose families might be staying in Siesta Key for Easter, with the chance to attend an event with their grandparents, who might live on the island.
Held annually by the Siesta Key Chamber of Commerce, this year’s event was at the Siesta Key Chapel property instead of the former location of Turtle Beach.
Marisa Merlino, promotion and event manager with the chamber, said while the event brought together businesses and families, its primary purpose was to offer a celebration that could be attended by out-of-town families. She also said the experience was improved this year due to the new location, which offered more shade as well as restroom facilities.
In addition to the egg hunt, included in the experience were animals presented by Sarasota Jungle Gardens and Big Cat Habitat, and a bracelet craft station by the Girl Scouts, as well as other fun and games staffed by many Kiwanis volunteers.
Patricia Pool said she was having an excellent time with her three grandsons, Micha, Caleb, and Owen Palmer. She said she appreciated the event’s multiple Easter egg hunts, which allowed participants to spread out.
14-year-old Girl Scout Mackenzie Valenca said it was exciting to see the importance of the event in the community.
“I really enjoyed being able to watch all the different people come through and seeing how large of an event this was,” she said. “So many different kinds of people just come together in this community.”
