The date for Easter varies every year, and in 2013 Easter falls on Sunday March 31st. Some schools get a long weekend, some get a full week off... If you're traveling on Easter weekend, pretty much any destination will offer some family fun on Easter Sunday. Read below for some outstanding Easter Egg Hunts and other special events, Easter Weekend packages at resorts, and more.
Easter Egg Hunts, Egg Rolls, and Other Special Events
Under-water Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs - photo courtesy of Miami Seaquarium.
Every year, more and more places put on Easter Egg Hunts and other special events: zoos, aquariums, children's museums... And there are also big events in a number of cities, such as New York City's Easter Parade, and the annual White House Easter Egg Roll in Washington DC.
Easter Weekend - Five Packages at Family Resorts
Photo courtesy of The Atlantis Resort.
Most resorts that welcome families have an Easter Egg Hunt, and some do much more. Check out special events at the Otesaga Resort Hotel in historic Cooperstown New York, at the legendary Atlantis Bahamas mega-resort, and at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island, Hershey Lodge, and Woodloch Resort in Pennsylvania.
Easter 2013 - Fun Events in Los Angeles
About.com's Guide for Los Angeles Travel has a roundup of Easter events that includes Easter Sunrise Service at the Hollywood Bowl, Beatrix Potter in the Garden at the Arboretum, and more.In the Southeast US
Richmond, Virginia's a big Easter Parade, Easter at Callaway Gardens, Stone Mountain, Georgia, the Biltmore Estate... read about these and more Easter 2011 events at About.com's website for Southeast US Travel.In London, England
Photo © London Eye.
Easter Egg Hunt at Kew Gardens, Easter Tea Party at the London Eye, church services at landmark places such as St. Paul's Cathedral and Westminster Abbey... read about these events and more, courtesy of About.com's Guide for London Travel.
In the UK
Photo courtesy of Leeds Castle Foundation.
"The Great Peter Rabbit/Beatrix Potter Easter Egg Hunt", four days of fun at Blenheim Palace including the "Hare-Brained Easter Egg Hunt" -- read about these events and more, at About.com's United Kingdom Travel site.
In Italy
From solemn religious processions with costumed participants and Easter mass at the Vatican to joyous celebrations that include an exploding cart with fireworks and a cheese rolling competition, Italy is a great place to experience Holy Week and Easter.In Heraklion, Crete
About.com's Guide for Greece Travel describes Good Friday and Easter Sunday services in the Greek Orthodox cathedral of St. Minas in Heraklion, Crete. Easter is a big celebration in Greece. Note, however, that the date of Easter is different in the Greek Orthodox calendar.In Eastern Europe
Easter egg in Zagreb, Croatia. Photo © Kerry Kubilius, About.com Guide for Eastern Europe Travel.
Easter is an important holiday in Eastern Europe and events include festivals and special Easter markets in cities such as Prague and Budapest. Elaborate egg decorating is a tradition that kids will like, and visitors can also enjoy special Easter foods. Note that the date of Easter will be different, depending on whether the holiday is being celebrated according to the Western (Catholic) or the Orthodox calendar; typically the Orthodox Easter is later than the date we celebrate in the West.
Sydney Royal Easter Show, Australia
The Sydney Royal Easter Show is an annual extravaganza that includes carnival rides, rodeo events, motorcycle and skateboarding stunts, livestock races, woodchopping competitions, diving (if not flying) pigs, parades, fashion shows, food stalls, and more. This event runs for two weeks that include Easter weekend.Easter Train Rides
Photo courtesy of Green Mountain Railroad.
Many tourist trains put on a special Easter train, with the Easter Bunny on board to hand out treats; or perhaps the train whisks kids to an Easter Egg hunt. Some Eater trains have a special theme, based on the Peanuts™ classic cartoons: the Easter Beagle Express features cartoon show: Snoopy (the inimitable beagle dog), Charlie Brown, and Lucy, plus the usual fun with the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunt.
