Medina visits Easter Bunny, goes on an egg hunt at downtown businesses

Photos by Sue Cook – Seven-month-old Cory Schrader poses with the Easter Bunny for his family. He is dressed up for the occasion.

By Sue Cook, staff reporter

MEDINA – Children and their parents peeked into shop windows as part of the Golden Egg Hunt. It was one of the day’s events put on today by the Medina Business Association.

Once a participant found all 12 eggs and wrote the shop names on their entries, the forms were turned in to Apple Blossom Florist. At the end of the day, one entry was randomly selected from all the correct entries. The winner would receive a  4 ½ pound milk chocolate rabbit from Della’s Chocolates.

Susan Fuller, owner of Della’s, was happy to donate the chocolate bunny. “For the last three years we’ve been a part of this,” she said. “I was asked to donate the prize, but I had already planned on it anyway.”

Three-year-old Owen Sargent found an egg in the window of Gramma Hawley’s Dream, one of the 12 participants. The other eleven include Della’s Chocolates, a lily and a sparrow, Creekside Floral, A Kut Above, Case-Nic Cookies, The English Rose Tea Shoppe, Ashlee’s Place, Shirt Factory Cafe, Apple Blossom Florist, ellen j. goods and The Book Shoppe.

“We go with stores that have windows decorated that will be nice to look into,” said Cindy Robinson, MBA president. “They’re asked to hide it where kids can see it.”

Businesses saw a significant increase in the number of participants from last year, she said.

“It’s something fun for kids and families. You see whole families out there. Moms, dads and grandparents all participate. It’s cute,” Robinson said. “You don’t even have to go into the stores. This event is for the kids and the memories.”

Georgia Thomas was assisting in The English Rose Tea Shoppe during the Hattie Standish Contest. Her hat is a vintage bonnet from 1962.

Robinson’s business, The English Rose Tea Shoppe, had its own contest as well. This was the store’s second year holding an Easter bonnet contest. The contest is called the Hattie Standish Bonnet Contest.

Robinson got the idea when she opened the Memories of Medina calendar. November was a photograph of a hat shop owned by Hattie Standish in 1917 in the same location that the Tea Shoppe is today.

The Easter Bunny was available for photo ops at Rotary Park. Children were welcome to sit on his lap and let their parents take pictures.

“It was fun visiting Medina,” said the Easter Bunny. “It was great seeing all the kids, big and small, enjoying Easter memories and still believing in the Easter Bunny.”

Nine-year-old Madison Morgott posed with the Easter Bunny. After the photos, he gave her and her friends candy as an early Easter gift.