Easter Service Shells 2023

University of Mary Hardin-Baylor to hold 84th annual Easter Pageant

BY DAVID STONE FME NEWS SERVICE

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor will hold its long running Easter Pageant on April 5 with three free perfor mances.

The 84th annual event will start at 12:30 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. in front of Luther Memorial on the UMHB campus in Belton.

According to Ashley Smith, UMHB’s director of marketing and public relations, the pageant will be live online on the UMHB Facebook page and at umhb.edu/live.

“The Easter Pageant chronicles moments for the Gospel story, including Christ’s triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, Christ’s trial by Pontius Pilate, cruciﬁxion, death and resurrection,” Smith said.

“This event has become a tradition for many Central Texas families and is expected to attract thousands of visitors,” she said.

Seating for the student-led production is available on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst-served basis

The pageant features a cast of hundreds of students, plus children and grandchildren of former students, faculty and staff.

Every year, UMHB President Randy O’Rear selects a student to direct the pageant and two students to play the key roles of

Jesus and Mary. The selection is based on their strong Christian faith and character.

“Katy Melton, a junior Span-

ish and social work major from Katy, has served as this year’s pageant director,” Smith said. “Lexy Bardin and Ange Rugira have served as Melton’s assistant directors.”

Bardin is a senior health science major from Caldwell and Rugira is a senior general studies major from Fort Worth.

Nicholas McDaniel, a senior management major from Bryan, will portray Jesus, and Ruth Lawson, a senior transformational development major from Belton, will be Mary.

Pageant organizers said the 5:30 p.m. show is tremendously popular, so visitors are encouraged to consider earlier perfor mances if possible. Bring sunscreen — umbrellas are not allowed.

The tradition of the annual Easter Pageant at UMHB began in 1940 when it was held during the afternoon on Easter Sunday At that time, Mary Hardin-Baylor was an all-female campus, so all of the roles were played entirely by women. Over time, the production expanded to include male students and additional perfor mances.

A4 EAS TER SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2023 | KILLEEN DAILY HERALD

NAN DICKSON | FME NEWS SERVICE Seth Brennan, a senior mathematics major from Spring, portrayed Jesus during the Easter Pageant at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in 2022.

Easter events to bring spring fun to the Killeen-Fort Hood area

BY BRITTANY SODIC HERALD CORRESPONDENT

As Easter approaches, there are egg hunts, pictures with the Easter Bunny, brunch buffets and much more coming up in the Killeen-Fort Hood area. It’s sure to be a hoppin’ good time for the whole family. Here is a list of local Easter-related events coming up in the area:

The Robinson Family Farm, 2651 Bob White Road in Temple, will host its annual Easter Fest from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 1-2 and 7-8. There will be Easter egg hunts, photo opportunities, farm animals, pig races, axe throwing, and more General admission is $15.95 per person. Go to https://www.therobinsonfamilyfar m.com/easter for more infor mation and to purchase tickets in advance.

The Free Military Family Easter Egg Hunt will be from 10 a.m. to noon April 6 at Lions Club Park, 1700 E. Stan Schlueter Loop, Killeen. Go to https://bit. ly/3K5lAz8 to reserve a spot in advance.

The annual Killeen Easter Egg Hunt will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 6 at the Killeen Athletic Complex, 2201 E. Veterans Memorial Blvd. There will be thousands of eggs available to ﬁnd. Hunts will be sorted into age groups of 0-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12, and an adaptive hunt for ages 0-25. There will also be photos with the Easter Bunny, food trucks, music, and more at this free event. Children are encouraged to bring their own baskets For more information go tohttps://www killeentexas.gov/RECor call at 254-5016390.

The Killeen Church of the Nazarene, 951 Stagecoach Road, will host the Reign Kids Easter Jubilee from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 8. There will be Easter egg hunts, face painting, crafts, lunch, and photo ops available. This event is free and open to all.

The Copperas Cove Parks and Recreation’s Easter Egg Round Up will be from 10 a.m. to noon at Copperas Cove City Park, 1206 W. Avenue B. Children ages 10 and under will be divided into age groups to participate in the hunts beginning at 10 a.m., including an adaptive egg hunt.

Vintage Church will host its eighth annual Eggstravaganza from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 8 at the Harker Heights Community Park, 1605 Knight’s Way. Children 12 and under can participate in egg hunts and there will also be bounce houses, food trucks, vendors, a petting zoo, and more. There is also a Temple area event at the same time at Central Texas Christian School, 4141 W. Highway 93 in Temple and another in Liberty Hill at Louine Noble Elementary School, 101 TX-332 Loop, Liberty Hill. Go to https:// vintage.church to learn more and register in advance.

The Temple Elks Lodge 138, 2613 Airport Road, will host its Easter Egg Hunt for Children with Special Needs and Their Siblings at 11 a.m. April 8. A hot dog lunch will be served after the event. Registration is required and must be completed by April 5 by going to https:// bit.ly/23egghunt.

The Unleashed Beasts MC Easter Egg Hunt will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 8 at Long Branch Park, 1101 Branch Drive, Killeen. There will be free food, games, inﬂatables, and more at this event open to children of all ages and their families

Bible Way Missionary Baptist Church, 2306 S. Far m-to-Market 116 in Copperas Cove, will host its Family Fest from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 8. There will be bounce houses, an Easter egg hunt, food trucks, and more at this free event. Go to https://bit.ly/3GaH1O2 to register in advance.

Abundant Life Church, 2920 Chaparral Road in Killeen, will host the Easter Family Fun Day and Egg Hunt at 11 a.m. April 8. There will be activities like bounce houses, balloon art, live music, food trucks, and more. The egg hunt for ages 12 and under will begin at 1 p.m. and will have over 10,000 eggs with candy and prizes. Call 254-526-4598 for questions

Express Emergency Room-Temple

1551 W. Central Ave., will host its annual Easter “Egg”stravaganza from 2 to 4 p.m. April 8. There will be an Easter egg hunt, pictures with the Easter Bunny, food trucks, and other family-friendly activities.

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Journey Church, 5300 Bunny Trail in Killeen, will host its Eggstravaganza from 4 to 6 p.m. April 8. This free community event will feature a maze, hay

rides, food, face painting, egg hunt, and more

The Central Texas Pride Community will host its second annual Easter egg hunt at 3 p.m. April 8 at 3034 Far m-toMarket 2313, Kempner. There will be crafts and more at this free event. Attendees are invited to bring their own lawn chairs, picnic lunches, and coolers

Shady Villa Hotel, 416 S. Main St. in Salado, will host a free Easter egg hunt and face painting event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 8 at the pool pavilion. The hotel’s restaurant, Stagecoach Restaurant, will also host an Easter brunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 9. The menu will include salad items, hot items including entrees and sides, a carving station, and desert table. Cost is $60 for

adults and $30 for children. Go to https:// bit.ly/3KoiLdM to make reservations.

The Vineyard at Florence, 111 Via Francesco in Florence, will host its Easter Brunch Buffet and Festival at 10:30 a.m. April 9. This event will feature a brunch buffet, egg hunt, petting zoo, a visit from the Easter Bunny, and more Tickets are $34.50 for kids 12 and under and $75 for adults. Go to https://bit. ly/40Na02m to reserve a spot.

The Vine Church, 4902 S. 31st St. in Temple, will host an Easter egg hunt from 11:20 to 11:35 p.m. April 9, following Easter Sunday service

If you have another event you would like the public to know about, please email the details to news@kdhnews.com and include “Easter Event” in the subject line.