Weekend Possibilities | New Beer Garden, Egg Hunts and Opening Day at Overland Park Farmers’ Market Springing Ahead

Spring has sprung and there are all sorts of outdoor activities to get into over Easter weekend. Options include an adult egg hunt, the Free State Festival in Lawrence and Overland Park Farmers’ Market’s opening day.

Friday, April 15

Noon The Great QR Egg Hunt is set for this weekend across Historic Downtown Bonner Springs, 206 E. Cedar St. Codes unlock at noon on Friday and remain scannable through 8 p.m. on Sunday. Finding all 20 eggs is by no means a race, though prizes will be available next week for hunters who uncover all of the codes. No smartphone? QR Egg Hunt organizers have included a numerical code on each egg to record with an old-fashioned pen and paper. The egg hunt is free and open to kids 15 and under.

7 p.m. Free State Festival is underway in Lawrence, Kansas, and continues Friday night with False Negative: An Evening with John Waters at Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St. The spoken-word performance is just one of the many festival events on the docket celebrating film, the arts, ideas and community. All access passes to the week-long festival are $125. Individual event tickets are available, just be sure to check the full schedule ahead of time. Proof of vaccination is required to attend the festival.

Saturday, April 16

7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Overland Park Farmers’ Market is back with an updated space for the 2022 season. Check out opening day at the market on Saturday where even more vendor booths will be set up, not to mention an increased parking area and nearby public restrooms. The market will be spaced out across parking lots adjacent to the farmers’ market pavilion. Only service animals are allowed during market hours.

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Half a dozen vendors will be on site for the Anita B Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave., Native Plant Sale, happening Saturday. Gardeners can grab native wildflowers, grasses, seeds, trees, vines and more to beautify the yard or garden, all while looking out for local ecosystems and wildlife. Shoppers should bring their own crates or boxes to take any purchases home. Pre-sale plants are available online.

Noon – 3 p.m. There’s a free Easter Egg Hunt this weekend at Wyandotte County Lake. Meet at the Lake Beach Shelter, 91st Street and Leavenworth Road, where the group will gather before setting off for the hunt open to all ages. There will be snacks and drinks for participants and their families.

Noon – 11 p.m. There’s a new beer garden in town and it’s brought to you by Border Brewing Co., 512 E. 18th St. Saturday’s Grand Opening will give the thirsty a first look at the 1,300-square-foot space offering plenty of sitting and shady tree coverage. Live music from the MGDs starts at 6 p.m. Be sure to get there in time for the tunes, there is no cover.

Sunday, April 17

4 p.m. Speaking of beer, there’s an Adult Easter Egg Hunt Sunday at Transport Brewery in Shawnee, Kansas, 1113 Johnson Drive. Sign up to compete with a partner, as teams of two will take on the boozy egg hunt around downtown Shawnee, gathering colorful eggs filled with various prizes from local businesses and the brewery itself. Teams will receive a welcome beer or cider upon arrival. There are cash prizes for first, second and third places. Registration is $40. You must be 21 or older to play.

4 – 6 p.m. Spend your Sunday at The Groundhog Day Theater, 6906 N. Oak Trafficway, where “The Ain’t Misbehavins: An Easter Musical Showcase” will be staged for the holiday. Audience members can look forward to swing-era ditties and a few original songs. Tickets to the performance are available starting at $10.

5 p.m. Don’t celebrate Easter? Easter For The Rest of Us is inviting the public to The Rino, 314 Armour Road, for a conversation with professor of Theology and Philosophy in Religion Dr. Nancy Howell surrounding alternative ways to understand the holiday. More specifically, the event will cover celebrating Easter through an ecological and theological lens, examining conjunctions in science and religion. Drinks will be accompanied by complimentary chicken and waffles. An RSVP is appreciated. The event is free to attend.

Flatland contributor Clarence Dennis also is a social media manager for 90.9 The Bridge.