Easter Weekend Festivities Bring Joy to Chicago Area Families

Despite rainy weather, egg hunts, giveaways, and community celebrations mark the holiday across the city and suburbs.

Apr. 4, 2026 at 10:34pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Families across the Chicago area enjoyed a variety of Easter weekend festivities on Saturday, including egg hunts, giveaways, and community celebrations. Events were held in the South Loop, on the Northwest Side, at the Lincoln Park Zoo, and in the suburbs, drawing large crowds eager to kick off the holiday season.

Why it matters

These annual Easter celebrations bring together communities, foster a sense of tradition, and provide fun, family-friendly activities for children and adults alike. They also signal the start of the spring and summer seasons, when people emerge from the winter months to reconnect with their neighbors.

The details

In the South Loop, the 19th annual Easter egg hunt at Chicago's Women's Park and Gardens featured 20,000 brightly colored eggs and special giveaways like White Sox tickets. On the Northwest Side, Bunny Palooza at Rutherford Sayre Park included an egg hunt and arts and crafts. Large crowds also gathered at the Lincoln Park Zoo for their egg hunt. The fun continued in the suburbs, with a helicopter egg drop in Aurora and an egg hunt with 20,000 eggs in Schaumburg.

  • The events were held on Saturday, April 4, 2026, ahead of Easter Sunday.
  • The 19th annual Easter egg hunt at Chicago's Women's Park and Gardens took place on Saturday.

The players

Martin and Amy Duncan

Attendees who expressed their joy at the community energy and festivities.

James Zielinski

An attendee who enjoyed the abundance of eggs and prizes at the South Loop event.

Cynthia Chao

An attendee who saw the events as a kick-off to the summer season and a chance to reconnect with neighbors.

Ashley

An attendee who appreciated the community coming together for the wonderful day of festivities.

Faith Lutheran Church

The host of the 16th annual helicopter egg drop event in Aurora.

Bethel Baptist Church

The host of an egg hunt with 20,000 eggs in Schaumburg.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“It's so nice to see everyone out having a great time. Even with the weather like this, just the energy, the joy, people saying hi to each other, it's just a ton of fun.”

— Martin and Amy Duncan, Attendees

“It's pretty fun. There's so much eggs and so much cool prizes you can get.”

— James Zielinski, Attendee

“It's great to see our neighbors. It's like this is kind of the kick off the summer. I feel like where we get to see everyone again, we're all coming out of hibernation and it's a wonderful event.”

— Cynthia Chao, Attendee

“I love seeing the community come together. A lot of our regulars are here and then we have a lot of new faces here and it's a wonderful day.”

— Ashley, Attendee

The takeaway

These annual Easter celebrations bring the Chicago community together, fostering a sense of tradition and joy, while also signaling the start of the spring and summer seasons when people emerge from the winter months to reconnect with their neighbors.