Editor’s note: On April 10, Queens County Farm Museum released the following update: We have been monitoring the forecast, and Saturday, April 12 is predicting heavy rain and wind. In order to provide the best experience possible, we have rescheduled the Saturday, April 12 Barnyard Egg Hunt for Sunday, April 13. If you need further assistance, please email [email protected].
On your mark. Get set. Go!
Queens County Farm Museum hosts the always well-attended Barnyard Egg Hunt on the next two Saturdays, April 12 and 19.
Youngsters search for thousands of colorful, prize-filled ovoids hidden throughout the orchard during this event, while parents snap photos with local celebrity Whiskers the Bunny. A farm-wide scavenger hunt and tractor-drawn hayrides are also on the schedule.
General admission is $16, while hayrides cost $6 per person (children under 3 are free). The fun runs from 10 am to 5 pm on both days, which are BYOB (bring your own basket).
Queens Farm’s entrance is at 73-50 Little Neck Pkwy. in Floral Park. A large, free parking lot is on site.
“As the farm bursts into bloom and new crops take root, we invite families and friends to come together, embrace the season, and create lasting memories with this cherished tradition,” stated Queens Farm Executive Director David Hughes.
Easter is a Christian holiday, but egg hunts derive from pagan practices. In ancient German folklore, the goddess Eostre and her rabbits laid eggs to mark the beginning of Spring. The first mention of an Easter Bunny in literature is by German writer Georg Franck von Franckenau in Do ovis paschalibus in 1682. They began as judges who determined whether children had been bad or good (not to be confused with Santa’s naughty or nice), before they acquired such accessories as clothes, baskets, toys, colored eggs, and candy over time.
Images: Queens Farm