Downtown Provo Hopping with Easter Festivities
Downtown Provo will be hopping with Easter excitement as a local self-defense school hosts its annual free Easter egg hunt and barbecue for the local community.
The United Studios of Self-Defense at 78 West Center St. in Provo is hosting its second annual Easter egg hunt Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nathan Boyd, chief instructor and manager of the studio, said while this is only the second year his studio has hosted the event the concept of a Provo community Easter egg hunt has existed for quite some time.
“It used to be the downtown Easter Event and it started dying off in the last couple of years,” Boyd said. “Starting last year we decided we were going to start it up again and bring some life back to Center Street … We’re bringing a lot of the old businesses back into the event. A lot of the ones that had started to back away are starting to see ‘oh this is going to be good for bringing business back to downtown.’”
This completely free event will have the classic Easter egg hunt, a barbecue, an egg balance and egg-toss game, pictures with the Easter Bunny, pictures with Po the Panda, coloring contests and raffles.
Boyd, who took over the school about two months ago, has chosen his business model to be centered around heavy community involvement.
“My entire goal for this year is for us to get back in the community and really feel a lot of community action,” Boyd said. “I’m a huge advocate of service … I actually host a lot of fundraisers here with helping out with cancer and various organizations … I work directly with the Autism Council of Utah, BYU Special Education training … (Also) I’m working now with the PTA districts on an anti-bullying campaign. I just really want to do as much as I can for the community.”
Before taking his new position Boyd spoke with the previous store manager, who hosted the 2011 Easter Event, and identified the strengths and weaknesses from their last celebration.
“We didn’t publicize the event last year nearly as much as we have this year and it went phenomenally last year – we had over 1,000 people here, for just a little Easter egg hunt,” Boyd said. “I thought why not make this something more than just an Easter egg hunt … This year we have a lot more plans in place, a lot more activities and we’re just making it as great as it can be.”
With “tons and tons of eggs and candy,” according to Boyd, being donated from local grocery stores and businesses, the community should expect even more cavities coming out from this year’s celebration than last.
Having more candy-filled eggs than ever before, a special “grand finale” of free-for-all candy grabbing will occur at 5 p.m. According to Boyd, this event no sweet tooth would want to miss.
“We’re going to have Po and the Easter Bunny out there and whatever eggs we have left will be part of our massive free-for-all,” Boyd said. “Kids are going to be filling up their baskets with as much as they can – whatever they can take, no limit. This is going to be a fun event. Come in, have some fun and enjoy the holiday.”