By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Pelham’s children will pack the youth football field at City Park April 23 as they vie for a percentage of the 10,000 Easter eggs scattered across the field.

The Easter egg hunt will begin at 9 a.m., and will feature small plastic eggs containing toys and candy.

During the event, Pelham Parks and Recreation Department officials will scatter the 10,000 eggs across the field, and separate the field into three separate areas for children younger than 5, children ages 6-10 and children 11 and older.

This year’s event will also feature a visit from the Easter bunny, who will be available for photos.

The hunt begins at 9 a.m., but Pelham Mayor Don Murphy and Parks and Recreation Director Billy Crandall warned the hunt is “the quickest in the country.”

“It begins at 9 a.m. If you get there at 9:02, all the eggs are likely to be gone,” Murphy said. “They do not last.”

“The mayor is right. It is quick,” Crandall said. “We start at 9, and at 9:05 it will be over.”

This year’s event will feature about 2,000 more eggs than last year’s event. To give each child a fair chance to collect eggs, Crandall encouraged parents of children older than 5 to stay on the sideline during the event.

“What will happen is that parents will go out with their kids and collect the eggs for them. That keeps some kids from getting any eggs,” Crandall added. “We will let one parent go out with the kids younger than 5, but this is for the kids, not the adults.”

Crandall said the event is catered to Pelham residents, but is open to anyone who wants to come.

“It’s really a great event. It’s fun because the kids get really excited about it,” Crandall said.