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Havin’ a hoppy time: Easter Bunny, spring chicken take to German Street with return of all pre-pandemic Easter events

By Tabitha Johnston - Chronicle Staff | Apr 5, 2024

Berkeley Springs resident Victoria Gilley, right, looks at handmade jewelry with the help of artisan Jani Smith in the War Memorial Building on Saturday. Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Local residents in their finest Easter outfits marched down German Street on Saturday morning, as they participated in the newly returned Spring Parade and costume competition.

Each costume category winner received an Easter basket full of treats from local shops and eateries: Clint Rose won the gentlemen category, Stephanie Grove won the ladies category, Clayton Hunt won the boys category and Willow Rose won the girls category, according to organizer Jenny Haynes.

“We had a great Easter Bunny — he had swag. So we definitely have to have him back again!” Haynes said, with a laugh. “Along with the Easter Bunny, we needed to have a spring chicken — it’s a Shepherdstown thing. So Linus Bicker, who’s running for town council, dressed up as my spring chicken. And we had a flower pot, too, to advertise the Back Alley Garden Tour & Tea!”

Longtime Shepherdstown resident Todd Cotgreave served as the parade entry announcer on Saturday morning.

“We had a lot of families come out — that’s what Shepherdstown is about!” Haynes said. “We were so happy to have the traditions that we all had growing up, once again in town. It was fun to be able to dress up and be kooky together.”

Jeremy and Shannon Conner shop with their daughter, Ryleigh, at the booth of E3D Printing Studio owner Rob Ellis in the War Memorial Building on Saturday. Tabitha Johnston

A half hour after the Spring Parade took place, the annual Easter egg hunt took off on the grounds surrounding McMurran Hall. Although this year’s Easter egg hunt may not have appeared different from the outside, it was in fact being led under completely different management.

“During the COVID-19 Pandemic, the previous organizers of the Easter egg hunt had cancelled it, so I took it over,” said Shepherdstown Easter Market organizer Michelle Kwiatkowski, who brought the annual market back to the War Memorial Building on Saturday morning and afternoon. “I did the Easter egg hunt for three years. But this year, Amanda Farone wanted to take over doing it, which I was more than happy to let her do!”

According to Farone, many hands proved to make light work for her, in regards to the organization of the Easter egg hunt. A group of Shepherd University students took care of filling the eggs for the hunt, as part of the good deeds they were performing locally during the university’s Alternative Spring Break. The hunt was free for all children to participate in, as has always been the case in the past, thanks to the generous donations of plastic eggs and candy from local residents and business owners, as well as from one new resource — hotel tax funding from Experience Shepherdstown, which ensured Farone had 3,000 filled eggs to hide around McMurran Hall.

“I had a lot of help this year,” Farone said.

Farone also operated a booth selling her decorative pens and crocheted animals in the Shepherdstown Easter Market. From that booth, Farone served a dual role, as she not only sold her wares, but also approved completed Spring Business Passports. Each Spring Business Passport featured a number of blank squares needing to be stamped or initialed by specific Shepherdstown businesses. The completed passports were then entered into a drawing to win an Easter basket.

The Easter Bunny greets a little girl, during the Spring Parade down German Street on Saturday morning. Courtesy photo

For Shepherdstown resident Jennifer May, the Spring Business Passport was a fun way to get some exercise.

“I did the passport because I need the exercise. Hopefully, I’ll also win the drawing,” May said. “This is the second time I’ve done a passport like this one. I liked getting involved with it.”

May said she also enjoyed the other Easter events held in town on Saturday, especially the Spring Parade, which she used to compete in and even won, once, when she was younger.

Amanda Farone signs the completed passport of Shepherdstown resident Jennifer May in the Shepherdstown Easter Market on Saturday afternoon. Tabitha Johnston