There’s always lots of fun to be had at Easter on Anna Maria Island, and Easter 2018 is no different.

The 32nd Annual Sandbar Easter Egg Hunt starts at 9:00 am., at The Sandbar Restaurant on Saturday, March 31st with refreshments served in the Pavilion next to the restaurant starting at 8:30 am.

The hunt will take place on the beach next to the restaurant with sections set up for children aged 0-2, 3-6 and 7-10. Each child is responsible for bringing their own basket to collect eggs. Parking is available in the restaurant lot, across the street and at city hall. We encourage folks to take the free island trolley or monkey bus.

After the Sandbar fun, the Easter Bunny will lead a walking parade down Pine Avenue where the 9th Annual Easter Egg Roll and Easter Bonnet Contest will take place. There will be plenty of fun for the whole family with games, face painting, egg rolling and coloring. Complimentary mimosas, sausage biscuits and frittatas will be provided by the Sandbar Restaurant along with cupcakes from Hometown Desserts. Take home an Easter keepsake – a framed picture with the Easter Bunny with pictures taken by Dara Caudill of IslandPhotography.org. Music will be provided by Chuck Caudill. A fabulous gift basket will be raffled off to one lucky winner. The egg roll and bonnet contest event is also sponsored by the Sandbar Restaurant, PAR and the Anna Maria Sun Newspaper. The roll will take place 9:30am-12:00pm.

Prizes for the best bonnet include a two night stay at the Anna Maria Guest Houses for first prize. There will also be prizes for second and third place. First prize for the best kid’s bonnet is a Sandbar lunch for the winner and three of their BFF’s complete with hot fudge sundaes. There will also be prizes for second and third place. This is the 16th year the Sun Newspaper has been a sponsor for the Sandbar Easter Egg Hunt. For more information on the Sandbar Easter Egg Hunt and Pine Avenue Easter Egg Roll contact Tina Chiles at 941-778-8710 or tchiles@chilesgroup.com.

On Vacation And Don’t want To Cook?

Don’t worry! Check out restaurants that are open on Easter Sunday:

Attend A Beach Front Easter Service

Make Easter extra special with an Easter sunrise service – you’ll never forget this.

The 54th Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island Easter Sunrise Service will begin at 6:30 a.m. Sunday, April 1 — sunrise is expected at 7:21 a.m. — at Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach.