Houston Egg-citement: Hundreds turn out for largest hunt yet

It was a quintessential Alaskan afternoon: cold feet, warm hearts, and enough sugar to last until the final thaw. On Easter Sunday, as the last remnants of winter lingered, and with the sun reflecting off the snowbanks at Houston Fire Station 9-1, colorful eggs dotted the slushy ground. None of that mattered to the hundreds of children bursting with anticipation for the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

Down at Houston Fire Station 9-1, final preparations were being made for what has become one of the community's most beloved traditions, while hundreds of children, bundled in colorful parkas and waterproof boots, gathered with their parents, their eyes scanning the terrain for the telltale glint of those plastic eggs with a most valuable prize-candy, while some plotted the best strategy to make sure they got the most eggs.

This wasn't just any hunt; it was a massive community effort. Organizations like the Houston Alaska Lions Club, the Susitna Rotary Club, and the Houston Fire Department came spending countless hours organizing and stuffing thousands of eggs with candy.

With barely-contained energy, waves of children erupted across the field. Some sprinted for the easy pickings on the flat ground, while others, more seasoned, dove headfirst into the soft snowbanks where eggs were tucked deep. Parents followed close behind, capturing the chaos on their phones as kids emerged from the powder, clutching their prizes like buried treasure.

“My basket is full!” exclaimed an excited Carrson as he proudly showed off his haul after he climbed up a snowbank to grab some eggs. “I didn’t go all the way up, there was so much snow in my boots I didn’t care.”

“We love it, it’s been great,” said resident Kent Mitchell, who brought his family out to the event. “We bring our family out every single year, and it’s always a good turnout…and just the generosity of the people and volunteers to do this. It really is a great thing for the town.”

“Many, many thanks to all the volunteers at the Houston Easter Egg Hunt this year. Around 400 children and their families attended, and we hope all had fun,” said Houston Fire Chief Christian Hartley, who said he believes this was a record breaking attendance for the event that

He also gave a shout out to Gorilla Fireworks and Walmart in Wasilla for their donations to the event, including hundreds of Easter baskets, toys, and two bicycles that were raffled off. “This was the largest Easter egg hunt in the city has had, last year being the previous record.”