Traditions to look forward to By Taylor Shillam
Springtime in Bonners Ferry signals a change in seasons worth celebrating, and there are plenty of ways to do so, from the highly anticipated Bonners Ferry Rotary Easter Egg Hunt to the start of Farmers Market season.
Rotary Club of Bonners Ferry Easter Egg Hunt
The annual Rotary Easter Egg Hunt has been kicking off the Easter weekend in Bonners Ferry for years. Each year, on the Saturday before Easter Sunday, children gather their Easter baskets and bags, and bundle up for an event known to take place—rain or shine. This year, the hunt begins promptly at 11am.
The tradition began decades ago with the Bonners Ferry Lions Club and is now continued on by the Bonners Ferry Rotary. Last year, over 120 dozen eggs were boiled and colored in the days leading up to the event. Residents of the Restorium aid in preparing the eggs for the event.
On Saturday, April 8, the egg hunt will be held in the parking lot of the Boundary County Fairgrounds, located at 6567 Recreation Park Road.
“We hide the eggs in different locations, depending on age factors,” shares Glenda Poston of the Bonners Ferry Rotary. Participating children will be divided into separate age brackets: ages 0 to 2, 3 to 4, 5 to 6, 7 to 8, and 9 to 10 years old. Parents are encouraged to help their younger children under the age of 5 make their way through the hunt.
Community support for the event has been consistent over the years. “The rotary has held the egg hunt for the past four to five years,” Glenda says, but the Bonners Ferry Lions Club started it many years ago, probably 50 or more years.
“It is so hard to determine the number of kids participating, because kids are just kids and they are moving way too fast to count,” Glenda says. Regardless, no child is left empty-handed. “We have a group of Rotarians and community members that will help hide and ensure that all kids get several eggs, approximately 20 people.”
Of course, the Easter Bunny will be in attendance.
“Like everyone else, we are concerned about eggs, so the Easter Bunny will have some real eggs along with plastic eggs for this year,” Glenda says. The concern lies in the ability to get as many real eggs as they need. “We usually have well over 2,000 eggs, and so there is concern about getting that many eggs, hence the need for plastic eggs.”
One thing has been made clear within the decades-old event: The egg hunt starts on time, and doesn't last long.
Glenda emphasizes the timely kickoff to the egg hunt. “I encourage and stress that the hunt starts promptly at 11am,” she shares. “Not five minutes late, but at 11am. It usually lasts about 10 minutes, if that. These kids are fast.”
She encourages all who want to participate to show up at least 15 minutes prior to the start time, “because we can’t wait—or I should say, the kids don’t wait,” she says. “We encourage all participants to find your marked-off area of the hunt, bring a basket or plastic sack for the eggs, and when the start time is announced to stand back, as it is all over in just a few minutes.”
Bonners Ferry Farmers Market
Springtime in Bonners Ferry also marks the earliest days of the Bonners Ferry Farmers Market, one of the oldest farmers markets in Idaho. Located next to Highway 95 and the downtown Bonners Ferry Visitors Center, the market is highly accessible and known to offer some of the best local products in the area.
Mark your calendar for the last Saturday of April, the kickoff to market season in Bonners Ferry. The first market of 2023 invites guests to "bring your unwanted, excess, unused seeds and exchange them for others," for the Opening Day and Seed Exchange, the market shares on their website. There will be a table full of all kinds of varieties for the community to take home for their gardening needs. The Seed Exchange helps to promote local growing and the sharing of community resources.
Starting April 29, the market will be held every Saturday from 8am to 1pm through the first Saturday in October.
For those interested in becoming a vendor in this year's Farmers Market, the Spring Vendor Meeting will be held on March 18 at the Boundary County Fairgrounds. More information about the upcoming market season can be found online at BonnersFerryFarmersMarket.org.
With the arrival of springtime in Bonners Ferry come the highly anticipated traditions that make the changing seasons so special. From celebrating the Easter holiday with the energy only an annual egg hunt can bring, to the start of Farmers Market season celebrating all things local, it's a great time to welcome a new season in Bonners Ferry.