Sandbar to celebrate Easter Easter Sunrise Service set

Easter’s on its way, and it wouldn’t be complete without the annual Easter Egg Hunt in the white sands of Anna Maria Island’s beaches.

The Sandbar Seafood and Spirits restaurant is gearing up for the 35th Annual Egg Hunt, Egg Roll and popular Easter Bonnet Contest on Saturday, April 8, from 9-10:30 a.m. on the beach and in the Sandbar Grand Pavilion, 100 Spring Ave. in Anna Maria.

The event will begin at 9 a.m. with refreshments, with the egg hunt starting at 9:30 a.m.

The Easter Bonnet Contest begins at 10:15 a.m. with prizes for both youth and adults.

Youth prizes are: First place, Sandbar lunch for the winner and three guests; second place, Fish Hole Putt Putt & Fudge Factory; and third place, Shiny Fish Emporium Painting session. Adult prizes are: First place, two-night stay at Compass Hotel, Margaritaville; second place, photography session with Beckah Lee Photography; and third place, dinner for two at the Sandbar with a bottle of champagne.

For more information, email Tina Chiles at tchiles@chilesgroup.com. The event is sponsored by the Anna Maria Island Sun, DJ Chuck Caudill and Dara Caudill Photography.

Above, children grab as many eggs as they can during the 2022 Easter Egg Hunt, Egg Roll and Easter Bonnet contest at Sandbar Seafood and Spirits in Anna Maria. 2023 will mark the 35th year of this annual event. Right, a young lady has a successful run at the 34th Annual Easter Egg Hunt.

The Kiwanis Club of Anna Maria Island will host its 58th Easter Sunrise Service on Easter Sunday, April 9 at 6:30 a.m. at Manatee Beach, 4000 Manatee Ave. W. in Holmes Beach. Island churches, as members of All Island Denominations, will participate in the service with a sermon, readings from Scripture, prayers and songs. The Kiwanis Club invites the public to attend and encourages worshippers to bring a beach chair or towel, as well as a flashlight for a pre-dawn arrival. The club also encourages trolley ridership. The trolley opens at 6 a.m.