The streets of Southside Bethlehem became a “bunny trail” through which about 200 children hippity-hopped their way to join in an Easter Egg Hunt on a sun-splashed Saturday a week before Easter.

“This is Nana and granddaughter’s day of adventure,” said Roxanne Wagner as she and her granddaughter painted at Color Me Mine. “It’s lots of fun.”

The SouthSide Arts District sponsored the March 27 event that invited children and their families to hunt for eggs in the shops and restaurants of the district.

“We are very excited to have this event for families in Bethlehem. It’s a great opportunity to meet shop and restaurant owners, while having a great time with your kids,” said Missy Hartney, downtown manager, SouthSide Arts District.

“Our hope is for members of our community to have a great afternoon with us, and hopefully come back another time as a customer.

“We are very fortunate to have Lehigh University as a sponsor of the event,” said Hartney, noting student volunteers were at Farrington Square, at the top of New Street and Morton, hiding eggs as another stop on the “bunny trail.”

Places to hop into included Color Me Mine, Molly’s Irish Grille and Sports Pub, Dinky’s Ice Cream Parlor and Grill, National Museum of Industrial History and Cops ‘n’ Kids at Northampton Community College Fowler Family Southside Center.

Each child had to reserve a spot to ensure crowd control. Families received Easter Egg Hunt maps via email March 25 with their specific spot to start. Each business was the first stop for a particular group, and then they moved on to another location. Groups received custom maps to help them naturally social distance from each other.

Everyone was asked to mask up when inside and outside during the event, to ensure safety in light of COVID-19. Cloth masks and hand sanitizer were available for free at Color Me Mine for families who needed them.

Egg hunters entered designated businesses and searched for three eggs containing candy. Arts and crafts were available at Color Me Mine and all “hunters” had the chance to meet the Easter Bunny for a free photo.

“It was a wonderful day for everyone to come together,” said Beverly Bradley, president of Cops ‘n’ Kids Children’s Literacy Program in the Lehigh Valley.

Each egg hunter who visited the Cops ‘n’ Kids site was given five free books provided by Cops ‘n’ Kids of the Lehigh Valley. They were also given a tote bag, Easter treat, beverage, bookmark craft and holiday coloring sheets and crayons. Holiday treats were provided by Just Born Quality Confections, and beverages by Nestle-Waters North America.

Volunteers at the site included City of Bethlehem police volunteers, Cops’n’Kids of the Lehigh Valley volunteers and student volunteers from Emmaus High School Key Club, which Bradley noted has donated 43,000 books to Cops ‘n’ Kids over 11 years. This year, the club donated two brand new books for each of the 625 students at Sheridan Elementary School, Allentown.

The Cops ‘n’ Kids Reading Room is located in the Fowler Family Southside Center.

It was definitely an “egg-citing” day for the little hunters who hopped throughout the Southside for Easter treats and springtime fun.