Putting all their eggs in a basket

Easter festivities help welcome spring.

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From left, Catherine and Hadley Milkovich show off their haul of eggs. The girls then gave away some of their eggs to children who showed up late or could not find any. – Photos by Michael Cummo

On Easter morning, hundreds of children, many dressed in their Sunday best, left home to attend Easter services or festive egg hunts across the Island, on what proved a beautiful spring day. Some little girls wore fluffy pink, white, or lavender dresses with shiny shoes and soft sweaters. Boys were spotted in crisp trousers and pressed dress shirts, and some even sported hats. Adults dressed for the occasion too, including several women from the Grace Episcopal Church in Vineyard Haven who dug out their most ornate Easter bonnets — adorned with feathers, flowers, ribbons, a red boa — for the Best Easter Hat Contest. Others showed up in more casual attire, ready to run through fields or beaches in pursuit of candy eggs.

From Duck Inn in Aquinnah to the Harbor View Hotel, to Edgartown Lighthouse, and many points in between, families gathered in all outfits to celebrate the holiday and have some fun.

The Harbor View Hotel hosted two separate Easter egg hunts between the grounds of the hotel and the lighthouse beach, with over 4,000 eggs hidden — plenty to go around. Four golden eggs were hidden as well, with the finders receiving an entire basket of candy. Some kids, like 11-year-old Catherine Milkovich and 10-year-old Hadley Milkovich, gave away many of the eggs they found to those who arrived late or could not find any eggs.

At the Flying Horses in Oak Bluffs, the Easter bunny helped celebrate the holiday and usher in a new season for America’s oldest carousel. The landmark was packed on Easter Sunday, with crowds waiting in line to ride the carousel, munch on popcorn, or play the arcade games.

The day served as an unofficial start to the new season, perfect for community gatherings and indulging in too many chocolates and sweets — a successful holiday all around.