‘Egg-cellent’ adventure at Geary Farm
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Children hunt for Easter eggs on Geary Farm in McDonald, which hosted a Geary Eggstravaganza, an Easter egg hunt that included several other activities.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Jacquelyn Baker visited Geary Eggstravaganza with her sons, Jake, left, and John, right, where they participated in the Easter egg hunt on Saturday.
On Saturday and Sunday afternoon, about 800 children, carrying baskets and bags, descended on Geary Farm, a McDonald farm owned by Bob and Jessica Cummins, in search of eggs.
But they weren’t looking for eggs laid by the family’s chickens.
Instead, the kids hunted for the more than 6,000 colorful plastic Easter eggs the couple had hidden in hay on their property for the second annual Geary Eggstravaganza.
The Cumminses hosted their first Easter egg hunt last year, after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of several egg hunts throughout the region.
Before organizing the egg hunt, the couple had hosted a Santa Claus photo shoot at the farm, thinking a few local families might be interested. Instead, families in the McDonald area and surrounding communities participated.
“We wanted to do something small, have a few families over,” said Bob Cummins. “But we got a tremendous response from the community, so we started thinking of ways to expand.”
They now host Easter, Christmas, July Fourth, and fall events.
The Eggstravaganza, which was free, included the egg hunt, a food truck, vendors, children’s crafts, balloon art, and raffles.
The couple has welcomed donations and volunteers. About 75 children from Get It From Nature, an art studio in McDonald, hand-painted and donated more than 100 eggs for giveaways for the Eggstravaganza.
Not So Silent Mamas, a support group for mothers, helped stuff the eggs.
“We love doing it for the community,” said Jessica Cummins. “There was such a need for a family-oriented activity during COVID, and we wanted to help give back to our community. We love seeing everybody here and interacting with them. We love to see the smiling faces.”
Jacquelyn Baker, a McDonald resident, brought her sons, John, 4, and Jake, 2, to Saturday afternoon’s egg hunt.
“They’re having a blast,” said Baker. “The ducks were the best. They loved the petting zoo, there’s food, and they got their photos taken with the Easter Bunny. It’s been fun.”
Geary Farm, established in 1818, was an operating dairy farm until 1989, when Bob Cummins’ grandfather sold off the cattle and equipment.
For the past eight years, Bob and Jessica, the eighth generation living on the farm, are revitalizing the farm. They are raising cattle, chicken, goats, miniature horses, pigs, and donkeys.
They host scheduled tours of the working farm, and they encourage families to visit.
For additional information about the Geary Farm, visit the website at gearyfarm.com.