This Sunday, close to 12,000 eggs will be hidden around Muskoka Heritage Place (MHP) as The Nutty Chocolatier hosts its annual Easter egg hunt.

The event kicks off with a shotgun start at noon. Children between the ages of 0 and 10 years old are placed in five age categories and then sent off to a specific area to hunt for the eggs.

For each age category, a golden egg is hidden in the area that they hunt for the eggs, which entitles the child who finds it to some extra special goodies at the store.

Nancy Wegner, owner of The Nutty Chocolatier, indicated that the reason she hosts the event year after year is to give back to the community.

“It’s organized by volunteers,” she said, adding that usually consists of herself and her three sons. “But this wouldn’t be possible without Ron Gostlin (MHP’s operations manager.) I really couldn’t do it without him.”

Last year, around 11,000 eggs were scattered around MHP and the additional 1,000 this year is proof that the event continues to grow.

“About 250 kids showed up last year and a total of about 500 people, including parents, grandparents and other family members,” said Wegner. “It keeps growing, I guess, because people are happy with the event. It’s free, safe and very organized. There’s no pushing or shoving. It’s come a long way over the years and it’s become a tradition for many families.”

Although Easter egg bags will be available on the day of the event, children attending The Nutty Chocolatier’s Easter egg hunt can bring their own egg baskets.