Candy cane hunt gets Sarasota kids in the holiday spirit

For the children who attended the third annual Candy Cane Hunt at the Children’s Garden and Art Center on Dec. 1, candy canes were the fun prize at the end of a scavenger hunt.

Robin Fulk, who runs the Children’s Garden with her mother Joan Condon, said they hid around 1,200 candy canes for kids to find. Each child got to grab 10 candy canes from around the garden. Older kids let the younger kids find the easy ones, but all the children rushed to find candy canes as fast as they could. 

Dawn Arbgast brought her son Rhys Arbgast to the garden because he loves activities like this.

“Kids just like to explore,” said Arbgast. “I think it’s extra special because it’s Christmas and there is candy involved, but Rhys loves doing stuff like this.”

Stephanie Rubner and her son Jack Rubner were some of the first in line after writing to Santa.

Jack Rubner said what he was most excited about was to eat the candy canes.

“They get to look through the undergrowth and get to feel like they are on a treasure hunt,” said Stephanie Rubner. Her other son, Ryan, is 1-year-old and wasn’t old enough to participate in the candy cane hunt.

The Children’s Garden also hides eggs for an Easter Egg Hunt and in July, they hid painted Easter eggs for a Dragon Egg Hunt. In fact, Fulk said the employees hide the treasures so well she found a Dragon Egg the morning of the candy cane hunt.

Employees estimate around 100 children came out to claim their candy cane prizes.