Baker Arts to host Glow Egg Hunt

ROBERT PIERCE • Leader & Times

The Easter season is nearing, and the sight of children, and maybe even some adults, collecting eggs will soon be seen at churches and other organizations across the country.

In Liberal, many hunts will take place throughout the community, including one at Baker Arts Center.

April 8, Baker is hosting the “Glow Egg Hunt,” a free event, and Art Director Brittyn Heronemus said 200 participants have signed up for the hunt, with no room left for more.

“We had to limit it to 200 kids due to how many volunteers we had,” she said.

Heronemus said the Glow Egg Hunt is a way for Baker Arts officials to let the community know the center is still here and open to the public.

“We’re going to have events like this coming up throughout the summer,” she said. “It’s a fun way to put a spin on an egg hunt. Let’s have some glo sticks and have some fun.”

As the name might imply, Heronemus said there is something slightly different about the Glow Egg Hunt.

“Whenever they check in, they’ll get some glow in the dark glo sticks, necklaces, bracelets, all the glo items, and hopefully, the eggs will be somewhat glowing,” she said. “Of course, we have the time change. We’re hoping it’ll be a little darker when the bigger kids get out there. It’s a little different than your traditional go and find eggs.”

All of this, Heronemus said, makes for a lot of fun.

“There’s going to be lots of people,” she said. “You’ll probably meet some new friends. We’ll have prizes for most eggs and least eggs found. We’ll have some general prizes out there as well.”

Among the prizes will be a few six-month membership passes and class passes from Baker to allow people to come back and see what else the arts center has to offer.

“You’ll want to be looking out for eggs with golden tickets with class passes,” Heronemus said. “We’re hoping to have a couple vendors. I don’t think we’ve confirmed that yet, but we’re hoping to have some vendors here that’ll have food or Icees or sno cones and some entertainment in between to keep us busy and fun the whole night.”

Baker Administrative Secretary Tammy Esquibel said the Glow Egg Hunt shows the center is more than just an art gallery.

“It’s a fun place to be,” she said. “We do the classes every week, but who doesn’t love an Easter egg hunt? It’s a good way to get our name out there for people who wouldn’t normally come. We get calls every day about what do you have that’s free. This is free.”

As a free event, Esquibel said the egg hunt is something everyone can do regardless of their financial situation

“Come and have some eggs, get some prizes, take home some candy and memories,” she said.

Heronemus said money raised from the Glow Egg Hunt will go toward summer camps at Baker.

“We plan on having three or four camps throughout the summer – June, July, maybe August,” she said. “I’m not 100 percent on our dates right now, but this is also going to be a way people can donate to help us with our future projects.”

Donation and membership tables will likewise be in place at the hunt for donations and people interested in becoming members of Baker Arts.

“A lot of the guests we’ll be having that day aren’t,” Heronemus said. “It’ll be a really good time for them to learn more about us and maybe even get a membership of their own.”

The Glow Egg Hunt will take place in Baker’s backyard, which Heronemus said is a great location for such an event.

“The space we have is definitely something we’re going to be utilizing throughout the rest of the year,” she said. “This is just the first event we are hoping to host, and the backyard is a wonderful spot for sure. It’s wonderful to have a little Baker park back here.”

Check in for the April 8 Glow Egg Hunt will start at 6 p.m. at Baker Arts.

“The babies to 3 years old have to be checked in by 6:30 because the toddler run is going to be starting at 6:30.,” Heronemus said. “The 4 and up, anybody 4 plus who’s signed up, they have to be checked in here by 6:45 so we can get you organized into your age groups and ready to do the big hunt event. We’re thinking we’re going to be hunting from 6:30 until about 7, and we’ll be doing some prizes after that. If the hunt lasts a little bit longer, no big deal. We plan on being here until about 8.”