Annual Easter Egg Hunt

At the heart of Alta lies a deep respect for nature—something that shapes not only how we ski, hike, and live, but also how we celebrate. The Alta Children’s Center Easter Egg Hunt is a reflection of that shared value: a tradition thoughtfully reimagined to honor both community and environment.

Where It Began

In 2023, the Alta Community Enrichment Center made the intentional decision to discontinue the traditional Easter egg hunt. The reason was simple and important: plastic eggs no longer aligned with the environmental consciousness that defines Alta.

When I heard this, it didn’t feel like the end of a tradition—it felt like an opportunity.

I reached out and shared something deeply personal: a tradition from my childhood. Growing up in a German family in South Africa, Easter eggs were never plastic. Instead, we used real eggs—carefully hollowed during everyday cooking, washed, and saved over time. Around Easter, these delicate shells became tiny canvases. Children would paint, color, decorate, and transform them into something uniquely their own. Each egg carried care, creativity, and intention.

That tradition found a new home in Alta.

A Year in the Making

This is not a one-week project. It is a 365-day commitment.

Every scrambled breakfast becomes part of something bigger. Each egg is carefully cracked, hollowed, rinsed, and saved. Families, staff, and community members all contribute. Summer camps help collect. Children paint. Bags are handmade. Volunteers gather to fill each fragile shell with chocolate and seal it with care.

We begin preparing for next year the moment this year ends.

What might seem like a simple egg hunt is, in reality, thousands of small acts of participation—woven together into something meaningful.

The First Hunt

Although 2023 brought excitement and the creation of nearly 2,000 eggs, a major snowstorm forced us to cancel the event. Still, nothing was wasted. Those eggs were carefully stored, waiting.

In 2024, the Alta Ski Area hosted the first official hunt using these handmade eggs. What unfolded was something unforgettable: hundreds of delicate, brightly colored eggs scattered across fresh snow—a striking and beautiful contrast that felt almost magical.

Growing Into a Community Tradition

By 2025, the event had grown. And on April 5, 2026, we hosted our largest Easter egg hunt yet—welcoming hundreds of families and placing approximately 3,500 handmade eggs across the snow.

What makes this event so special is not just the scale, but the heart behind it.

Children who help paint eggs one week return the next to search for them. Families contribute shells. Community members gather to fill eggs. Alta Ski Area has graciously supported the effort, helping ensure this tradition continues to grow.

And then, just like that—it’s over.

Three minutes and twenty-six seconds.
That’s all it takes for thousands of eggs to disappear into the joy of children.

More Than an Egg Hunt

This tradition is not about the eggs themselves. It is about:

It is about showing children that celebration and environmental responsibility can coexist beautifully.

A Personal Note

This project is deeply personal to me. It is a piece of my childhood, carried across continents and re-rooted in a place that shares the same values. It is something my own children are now part of—collecting eggs, painting them, helping build something bigger than themselves.

To see it embraced by the Alta community is something I am incredibly proud of.

Looking Ahead

We have already begun.

Egg shells are being saved today for the 2027 Easter egg hunt. The process continues—quietly, daily, intentionally.

Our hope is simple: that this tradition will live on for many years to come, growing with each season, each family, and each child who experiences the magic of finding something small, handmade, and full of care.

Because at Alta, even an Easter egg hunt can reflect who we are.