BLOOMSBURG — Each year children look forward to a visit from the Easter Bunny and maybe an egg hunt or two, as well as a candy-filled basket on Easter morning.
In an effort to mix things up a bit this Easter, though, staff at the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum are offering up a new Easter mascot — the dinosaur — with their “Happy East-roar” event set to kick off at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Ginny Weibel, director of the children’s museum, said they are partnering up with Pennsylvania Dinosaurs out of Catawissa, to offer families a fun alternative to the traditional Easter happenings around the area.
“We do a lot of programming with them,” said Weibel. “I was having coffee with (Mackenzie Wertman, founder of Pennsylvania Dinosaurs) one day and we conceptualized a dinosaur Easter party.”
According to its website, Pennsylvania Dinosaurs provides “a realistic dinosaur experience for events, parties, and so much more.”
According to the site, the life-like animatronic costumes are created using the same quality and artistry as the ones in Hollywood and feature realistic moving and blinking eyes, six different roars and sharp teeth. Standing an average of 7 feet tall and 12 feet long, the website said these walking dinosaurs will enthrall audiences of all ages.
“They just got this amazing new dinosaur,” said Weibel. “It’s their first four-legged dinosaur, a Triceratops named Memphis.”
This event will be the new dinosaur’s introduction to the public.
“We figured, kids loves dinosaurs and everyone likes Easter egg hunts,” she said. “So why not a dinosaur-themed Easter egg hunt?”
The museum’s regular exhibits and activities will all be open on Sunday as well, but there will be special dinosaur and Easter-themed games, crafts and activities as well, including a bean bag toss, a wind up chick race, hidden eggs to find, crafts to learn more about dinosaurs and the egg hunt. Weather permitting, the egg hunt will be held outside.
“We have to play it by ear,” said Weibel. “If it is nice out, we will utilize the green space outside.”
Kids of all ages are welcome. Pre-registration is not required, but is encouraged as the event is expected to be a popular one, said Weibel.
“Tickets, which are $12, can be purchased online on our website, and if we don’t sell out, they can be purchased the day of the event at the door,” she said.
There will be prizes.
The museum hosts numerous events throughout the year and if you miss the dinosaurs this time, don’t worry, they’ll be back again in October for a special Mother-Son Dinosaur Brunch.
“We have breakfast, a hayride, a lot of fall-themed stuff,” she said. “There is even a barista to serve coffee for the moms and the dinosaurs are running around. It’s a very popular event.”
That event was created to balance out the Daddy-Daughter dance they sponsor each year.
If dinosaurs aren’t your thing, stop by this Saturday for Chick and Bunny Day here, where kids can visit with live chicks and bunnies at the museum, included with the cost of admission. The YMCA is also having an egg hunt Saturday right next door.
“We try to not copy what other people do, we like to come up with new and fun and exciting events,” said Weibel. “And the EastROAR is something different that we can have and that no one else is doing.”