Families enjoy annual EGGstravaganza at Waterside Park in Lakewood Ranch

Children have different strategies when it comes to trying to collect the most eggs in the annual Lakewood Ranch egg hunt.

By Liz Ramos
| 3:30 p.m. April 1, 2023

Myakka City's Riley Smith, who is 5, runs as fast as he can to collect eggs April 1, 2023, at EGGstravaganza.

East County
Neighbors

Lakewood Ranch's Jade Jacobs stood on the edge of a large field scoping out how many eggs were close to her.

Jacobs, who is 6, was planning her strategy to collect as many eggs as she could during Lakewood Ranch Community Activities' annual EGGstravaganza April 1 at Waterside Park.

She decided to collect the eggs that were closest to her before going farther into the field.

"I want as many as it takes to fill my bucket," Jacobs said.

Greenbrook's Emma Bewley, who is 5, decided she was going to hunt for eggs by color. She wanted to collect the blue, purple, pink and yellow eggs. Her goal was to collect 10 eggs.

Before the egg hunt began, Jacobs enjoyed the various activities available at EGGstravaganza, including getting her face painted.

She decided to have a chick painted on her face because her class at school is taking care of chicks.

Lakewood Ranch 5-year-old Alice McCarthy, 3-year-old Emma McKeon and 3-year-old Campbell McCarthy already have found their spot to start the egg hunt.

Lakewood Ranch's Polin Wang, 1-year-old PJ Wang, 3-year-old Enyu Wang and Meiyin Chen enjoy their first EGGstravaganza.

Lakewood Ranch 6-year-old Jade Jacobs wants to collect all the eggs. "I want as many as it takes to fill my bucket," she says.

Eggs are spread throughout the field as families with children who are 6 and older line the edge of the field in preparation for the hunt.

Greenbrook's Lisa Bewley and her 5-year-old daughter Emma Bewley are excited for their first EGGstravaganza. Emma Bewley wants to collect blue, purple, pink and yellow eggs.

Lakewood Ranch's Hannah Sampaio, who is 5, is ready for the hunt.

Lakewood Ranch 4-year-old Davis Daysh shows off the bunny painted on his face. "I chose a bunny because I love bunnies," he says.

Families line the sand volleyball courts as the countdown to the start of the egg hunt begins.

Lakewood Ranch 5-year-old Brayden LaBonte makes a mad dash for the eggs at his first EGGstravaganza.

Myakka City's Harper Davis, who is 4, collects as many eggs as she can during the hunt.

Sarasota's Cate Rizzo, who is 3, has fun finding and collecting eggs in her bag.

Lakewood Ranch's Brayden LaBonte, who is 5, is all smiles while collecting eggs.

Windward's Landon Mundy loves participating in his first EGGstravaganza.

Lakewood Ranch 9-month-old Julian Zapata and his 2-year-old brother Luca Zapata look at the prizes in their eggs.

Lakewood Ranch's Stephen Cerven, who is 4, has fun with 2-year-old Theo Anderson, who is visiting from Illinois, and his 7-month-old sister Caroline Cerven.

Harmony's Josie McComas loves getting her face painted.

Lakewood Ranch's Meyer Garfield, who is 2, has his chance to drive a Sarasota County Fire Department firetruck.

author

Liz Ramos

Managing Editor Liz Ramos previously covered education and community for the East County Observer. Before moving to Florida, Liz was an education reporter for the Lynchburg News & Advance in Virginia for two years after graduating from the Missouri School of Journalism.