Cook County, Area Easter Egg Hunts: Find Them Here

COOK COUNTY, IL — Spring is here and as flowers slowly begin to bloom that can only mean one thing: Easter is right around the corner. And for kids — or, you know, youthful teens and adults — it's never too early to start thinking about hunting for colorful, candy-stuffed eggs. Luckily the folks at Easter Egg Hunts and Easter Events, plus some local sources, have Cook County covered.
Easter comes pretty late this year, falling on Sunday, April 21. (Last year it was on April 11 and the year before that it fell on April 16th.) As such, many egg hunts and other events across the country will be held either a day or a week before the holiday.

There will be several egg hunts and Easter events available this year for kiddos across Cook County. Here's a roundup of some of our favorites.

Community Egg Hunt Extravaganza

• When: 9 a.m. Saturday, April 13
• Where: Arlington Heights Historical Society & Museum, 110 W. Fremont St., Arlington Heights
• Details: "Children 10 and under are invited to race around the grounds for treat-filled eggs. Following the egg hunt, families are invited to explore the Museum with a scavenger hunt. Registration is required to participate, and the cost is $6 per child. The children of Society Members are free."

Southminster Easter Egg Hunt

• When: 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sunday, April 14
• Where: Southminster Presbyterian Church Arlington Heights, 916 E. Central Rd.
• Details: Complete schedule of events and registration can be found online.

Every Bunny Get Ready!

• When: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. pre-hunt fun; 11:30 a.m. Easter egg hunt! Saturday, April 20
• Where: Arlington Park, 2200 W Euclid Ave, Arlington Heights
• Details: Register for breakfast; register for Easter egg hunt ⇾> More info.

Easter Brunch

• When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, April 21
• Where: European Crystal Banquets & Conference Center, 519 W. Algonquin Rd.
• Details: "Join us for our Easter Brunch April 21st 2019. Our brunch menu will include an array of breakfast items including fresh to made omelet station, full lunch selection with carving stations and spectacular dessert table. For children visit from Easter bunny , face painting and sweet treats . Reservations are required.Adult price is $39.95, Kids from 3-11 years old $20.00 , below 3 free. All reservations are subject to 18% gratuity and 11.25% sales tax."

>> More Easter events taking place this weekend and next across Arlington Heights

Other Cook County Easter events:

• Palatine Jaycees Easter Egg Hunt
• Barrington Easter Egg Hunt

Swim with the Bunny

• When: 1 p.m. Saturday, April 13
• Where: Elk Grove Park District Pavilion Aquatic Center Elk Grove Village,
• Details: Pre-registration is required! >> More info.

While not technically a federal holiday, Americans love themselves some Easter. In fact, 84 percent of Americans planned to celebrate the holiday last year, according to Statista. The figures were based on a survey of more than 1,000 Americans between 18 and 64 years old.

The National Retail Federation puts that number at closer to 80 percent and says those people will drop on average $151 per person on goods such as clothing, candy, cards and flowers.

The most popular Easter traditions, according to Statista, include giving out candy-stuffed baskets (60 percent), hunting for eggs (57 percent), painting eggs (55 percent) and going to church (51 percent).

Less popular activities included going to an Easter party — yes, that's apparently a thing — attending a parade, egg rolling, and eating hot cross buns, which are just buns marked with a cross that contain dried fruit. They're traditionally eaten during Lent.

The Statista survey also showed how diverse Americans really are. As you probably know, Easter is traditionally a Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, people started painting and decorating Easter eggs during the 13th century.

"The church prohibited the eating of eggs during Holy Week, but chickens continued to lay eggs during that week, and the notion of specially identifying those as 'Holy Week' eggs brought about their decoration," the encyclopedia page states. "The egg itself became a symbol of the Resurrection."

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.