Moments before the scramble at a local Eggstravaganza
Don’t put your eggs all in one basket when it comes to Easter celebrations around the DC area! Numerous places host egg hunts, Easter bunny visits, and much more spring fun this time of year. Even if you’re not big on the holiday, there are attractions and activities beyond bunnies and candy-filled eggs that will have the whole family hopping with joy. Here’s where you can find them, listed in order of start date. And if I’ve left out any good ones, feel free to let me know in the comments. Happy Spring!
Spring Easter Egg Hunt
Where: Ticonderoga Farm | Chantilly, VA
When: Weekends through April 28
Admission: $14.95/child, 12.95/adult
With giant slides, awesome jumping pillows, playgrounds, animals, mazes, and more, the farm in Chantilly is a blast, and they take the fun up a notch on come spring. Along with the permanent amusem*nt, there are egg hunts and visits from the Easter Bunny. Be sure to check the website for timing of specific activities. For an idea of what’s there, see this post about their Winter Festival, which is much of the same, but with Easter instead of Christmas festivities. And this post about a class field trip has info and pics, too.
Easter Treasure Hunt
Where: Mansion on O Street | Dupont Circle, DC
When: Through April 21
Admission: $35
Don your favorite Easter bonnet and celebrate spring with a fun filled treasure hunt! Search for special Easter & spring-themed items found only at The Mansion. Explore our themed rooms and search for secret door, too. Hurry – this hunt hops away after Easter Sunday! BYO shopping bags, because everything is for sale. Read more about the Mansion on O Street in this KFDC post.
Egg Hunt & Marshmallow Harvest
Where: Great Country Farms | Bluemont, VA
When: April 6-7, 10am – 5pm
Admission: $10/child, $12/adult at the gate
After a long cold winter, nothing chases away the chill like a visit to the farm. Head to Great Country for the first “crop” of the spring– Marshmallow Picking! Do marshmallow peeps grow on trees? Be sure to check it out and harvest a few to roast on the bonfire with Farmer Bob. You can even purchase a s’mores kit to melt away that chocolate craving. Guests can also help find Easter Bunny eggs during egg hunts (by age – see the schedule) with over 20,000 treat-filled eggs. Plan to visit spring chicks and baby animals, check out the spring plantings in the greenhouse, take a hayride and rejoice in the new season. Don’t forget to bring your camera for photo ops with the Easter Bunny. Buy advance tickets online for only $10/adult — visit the website to purchase, and look for the schedule of events there, too.
Fabergé Egg Family Festival
Where: Hillwood Estate and Gardens | Northwest DC
When: April 6
Admission: $18/adult, $5/ages 6-18, free/5 & under
Celebrate spring’s arrival in traditional Russian style! Hillwood’s annual festival has programs, music, art, and activities for all ages. Happenstance Theatre will present stories of Russian Easter traditions in a fun family play. A favorite for all ages is the “Fabergé’s Workshop” to create a Fabergé-inspired egg. Samovar Russian Folk Music Ensemble takes visitors back to Old Russia as they play traditional instruments, and the Kalinka Dance Ensemble performs Russian folk dances. And centuries-old Russian springtime games like egg-rolling and egg and spoon racing will entertain children of all ages.
Easter Eggstravaganza & Wagon Rides
Where: Frying Pan Farm Park | Herndon, VA
When: April 7
Admission: $8
Hunt for eggs and visit animals outdoors at the Visitor Center. Sign up for a hunt throughout the day — they start promptly at your registered times. Add a wagon ride for only $2, and take a jaunt around the crop fields and back to the Visitor Center. Children must be accompanied by a paid adult. Pre-registration required.
Bunnyland
Where: Butler’s Orchard
When: April 13-14, 18-19, 20, 22, Kite Days April 27-28!
Admission: $9.50/child, $7.50/adult
One of the more popular spring festivals in the area, Butler’s has all the trappings for seasonal fun: bunnies, eggs, and other Easter-related treats to get young guests in the holiday spirit. Attractions include hayrides down the Bunny Trail, egg hunts, the Rubber Ducky Derby, giant slides, a new jumping pad, and a small petting zoo. Face painting and pony rides are also usually offered for an extra fee. Concessions are available, and there are also plenty of picnic tables if you prefer to pack a lunch. Bring a kite to fly the weekend of April 27-28!
Pizza & Easter Egg Hunts
Where: Matchbox locations around the DMV
When: April 13
Admission: Free with meal
All locations of the family-friendly neighborhood pizza bistro in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia invite kids to enjoy an Easter egg hunt around the restaurants during brunch from 10-11:30am. Prizes include fun items for the whole family, including a complimentary kids pizza party for up to six, brunch for two, a free kids pizza, free passes to a kids pizza class on June 22, plus candy, and more. Kids will receive an Easter coloring sheet to enjoy while they dine as well.
Bunny Train Ride
Where: Walkersville Southern Railroad | Walkersville, MD
When: April 13, 14, & 20
Admission: $16/adult, $15/senior, $13/age 1-12
All aboard for a trip back in time with the Easter Bunny! Travel over track that the Pennsylvania Railroad originally built in 1872. See Walkersville Southern’s turn-of-the- century railroad station and tool house, then visit with the Bunny on the train (who will also give each child an Easter gift!). Ride in vintage 1920s passenger cars or on an open flatcar as your rail excursion runs past a 100-year-old lime kiln, and then out into picturesque Maryland farm country. Enjoy juice and Uncle Ralph’s cookies in the museum after your ride. Reservations required!
Easter Bash
Where: Ballston Quater | Ballston, VA
When: April 13, 12-2pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate Easter with Ballston Quarter and enjoy a family-friendly afternoon of games and activities. Join the fun by searching through Ballston Quarter for Easter eggs filled with prizes and exclusive giveaways. Kids can enjoy creating bunny-ear arts and crafts and take pictures in our photo booth. The Easter Bunny himself will make an appearance for pictures and a bunny-hop disco dance party will have guests young and old boogeying to all of their favorite hits!
Easter Egg Decorating
Where: Brentwood Arts Exchange | Hyattsville, MD
When: April 13, 2pm
Admission: Free
Fun! Glitter! Eggs! The Brentwood Arts Exchange promise all three at this free family-friendly workshop. Create beautiful decorated eggs that will impress friends and even the Easter Bunny. Children will receive their first two eggs for free. Additional eggs will be available to purchase 2 for $1.
11th Annual Eggstravaganza
Where: Tudor Place | Georgetown, DC
When: April 13, 18, 19, & 20, 10am – 12pm
Admission: $10/child, $8/child member, $5/adult
Rolling green lawns, bright spring blooms, and the elegant mansion on a hill serve as backdrop for this festive annual attraction. Join the Easter Bunny as children of all ages enjoy an Egg Hunt and thrilling Egg Roll Contest down the grand South Lawn. Crafts include paper chick “pets” and colorful butterflies, plus there will be games for all ages. Plan to take a self-guided tour of Tudor Place’s 5½ acres of glorious gardens, and be sure to bring a camera! There are very few non-member tickets left, so register soon! Most days are still open to members.
Easter Egg Hunt
Where: Potomac Overlook Regional Park | Arlington, VA
When: April 13
Admission: $10/child
The Easter Bunny is coming to Potomac Overlook! Bring your basket and begin your intrepid search for eggs at the park. Additional activities include games, crafts and, of course, photos with the Easter Bunny. Open to children 2-11 years old. Accompanying adults are free! The cost per child is $10. Advance reservation required. Egg hunt begins promptly at noon!
Spring Fling Easter Eggstravaganza
Where: Roer’s Zoofari | Vienna, VA
When: April 13-14 and 20-21
Admission: $20 ages 2 and up
Celebrate the arrival of spring at an Easter event that promises to be entertaining for all ages! Safari tours, face painting, a bounce house, environmentally friendly crafts, and hourly Easter egg hunts will be part of the fun. This year the event is Plastic Free with reusable eggs that younger children will hunt and then turn in for prizes. Visitors are also invited to explore the zoo’s animal exhibits. Take an open air bus ride for an extra $3; enjoy feeding llamas, zebu, giraffe, camel, and barnyard favorites; and experience a parakeet adventure!
Easter Eggstravaganzas
Where: Various locations around the DMV
When: April 13 & 20
Admission: Free
These festivals held in several neighborhoods around the area offer all kinds of Easter fun – egg hunts, Easter bunny visits, face painting, yummy treats, games, prizes, and more. They’ll take place at South Run Rec Center in Springfield, Glenkirk Elementary in Gainesville, and Four Mile Run Park in Alexandria on April 13, and at Langdon Park in Northeast DC and Lincoln Park on Capitol Hill on April 20.
Easter Cupcakes: Kids Confectionery Decorating Class
Where: Creative Saints Loft | Hyattsville, MD
When: April 14, 1-3pm
Admission: $32
Spring is finally here! Join Chef Candace McCray of Sweet Kiss Cupcakes for a Kids Easter Cupcakes Decorating Class! This event is for kids who love being in the kitchen and parents who love to eat their creations. Your little one will learn spring time pastry chef inspired cupcake decorating techniques, and how to make their own chocolate dipped cake pops. They’ll be taught how to pipe, frost, decorate, and mold shapes. Kids will also decorate their own easter basket to bring their goodies home. Each ticket includes: 4 uniquely decorated cupcakes & 2 cake pops, all materials, 2 hours of instruction by Chef Candace McCray, Vigilante Coffee and sweet treats for adults, Bunny Hop lemonade for children, and an appearance by the Easter Bunny — be sure to bring your camera to snap a few pics!
NoVa Parks Egg Hunts
Where: Parks throughout Northern Virginia
When: April 14-20
Admission: $10
Several parks in Northern Virginia are hosting all kinds of Easter fun to celebrate the holiday and the season. Easter bunny visits and photo ops, egg hunts, crafts, and more activities will be part of the festivities. Registration is required. Go here to see where and when you can jump in on the fun!
Annual Easter Egg Hunt
Where: Frederick Douglass National Historic Site | Anacostia, DC
When: April 20, 10am – 1pm
Admission: Free
Celebrate the lasting legacy of Frederick Douglass’s at the National Park Service’s annual Easter Egg Hunt. The event will take place on Saturday, April 20, 2019 from 10 am to 1 pm at Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in historic Anacostia. At this free community event, children ages 0-12 will hunt for Easter eggs, take pictures with the Easter bunny, play games on the lawn of Cedar Hill, and experience the power of place with ranger led tours of Douglass’s historic home. Join in the fun with arts and crafts lead by local community organizations Konsider Dis and EYL 365 Project. Enjoy story time with Dr. Kelsi Bracmort, author of Simone Visits the Museum and DC native, and get your book signed!
Easter Block Party
Where: Riverdale, MD
When: Saturday, 1-4pm
Admission: Free
Join an amazing, family-friendly, community event that is completely FREE! There will be food, kids’ activities, music, and games. Kids ages 1-8 can join an Easter egg hunt at 2pm Ages 1-8. Feel free to BYO basket, bucket, or bag, though they will provide a bag for any children who don’t have one. There will also be a 5×5 Soccer Tourney at 2:30pm — sign ups are first come, first served, max 8 teams (7 minute matches, single elimination). This is all brought to you by Peace City Church, St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Solid Rock Church.
Egg Hunt Weekend
Where: Clark’s Elioak Farm | Clarkesburg, MD
When: April 20-21
Admission: $6
Little ones (ages 1 to 3 and 4 to 6) will have a chance to hunt for eggs throughout the day at this Maryland Farm that looks like something out of a story book! After hunting, they get to turn the eggs in for a goodie bag. The petting farm, rides, and play areas will be open for all to enjoy, too, along with gem mining and geode cracking. Be sure to take a look at the website for a heads-up on how the egg hunts will run, so you can make the most of your day there. Read more about Clarks Elioak in the KFDC post about the best outdoor places in the area.
Falls Church Annual Easter Egg Hunt
Where: Cherry Hill Park | Falls Church, VA
When: April 20, 10-11am
Admission: Free
Join this annual family celebration hosted by the city’s Recreation and Parks Department. Children dressed in their spring finest can hunt for candy and special eggs in Cherry Hill Park and have their photo taken with a special guest, the Easter Bunny! BYO basket — they’ll supply the candy, fun, and happy springtime memories. In addition to scrambling for eggs and photo ops, children ages 11 and younger can participate in a make-your-own-candy-bag craft project.
14th Annual Community Easter Egg Hunt
Where: Stead Park | Northwest DC
When: April 20, 10:45am – 12pm
Admission: Free
Hop to it and join Friends of Stead Park for their annual Community Easter Egg Hunt! Enjoy selfies with the Easter Bunny, crafts and snacks after your little ones have filled their baskets with eggs. The egg hunts will be split by age: Baby to 3: 10:45-11:00am, ages 4-6: 11:15-11:30am, ages 7 & up: 11:45am – 12:00pm. BYO basket and register here.
Easter Monday & Earth Optimism Celebration
Where: National Zoo | Woodley Park, DC
When: April 22, 10am – 2pm
Admission: Free
This year it’s double the fun, as the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s Easter Monday event coincides with Earth Day and the Zoo’s Earth Optimism celebration. Families are invited to enjoy egg hunts, live music, food trucks, and games while discovering how they can help save species. This free event includes hands-on learning opportunities featuring Smithsonian conservation success stories, special animal demonstrations, keeper talks, and meet and greets with scientists and conservation partners working to protect wildlife around the world.
White House Easter Egg Roll
Where: White House Lawn | Downtown DC
When: April 22
Admission: Free, tickets required
The annual White House Easter Egg Roll requires tickets won through lottery for admission. If you entered, you should have found out by now if you were “successful” in scoring them or not. Unofficial tip: I’ve heard in the past that people have been at the entrance giving away extra tickets they may have. While I can’t confirm that’s always the case, if you’re going to be in that area and really want to go, it wouldn’t hurt to stop by and see if someone might have tickets for you. Note that entries are timed, so while it goes all day, guests only stay for their designated amount of time.
