Shoppers Invited to Spring into Avon

If you can’t wait for Easter, here’s some good news: You don’t have to. You can get a taste of it – literally – two weeks early in Avon’s Historic French Creek District.

 Spring into Avon begins Saturday, April 9, with a pancake breakfast sponsored by the French Creek Development Association at the from 8 to 11 a.m. Seating times are at 8, 9 and 10, and afterward youngsters up to age 8 can join the Easter Bunny for an egg hunt. From there, it’s off to the “Bunny Hutch” for more fun, including photos with the Easter Bunny, crafts, face painting and a coloring contest.

 All of the fun isn’t reserved for children. For people more likely to hunt for bargains than eggs, there is the Bunny Shop Hop, with special offers and giveaways for shoppers, said Lori Miles, president of the French Creek Merchants Association. Although the breakfast and Easter Bunny activities are on Saturday only, the Bunny Shop Hop continues on Sunday.

 Advance tickets for the breakfast, which are $6 for adults and $3 for children ages 2-8, are available at The Littlest Details and Catherine’s Chocolates and by e-mail. (Ticket prices are $2 more at the door). Children under age 2 are admitted free. Entry forms for the coloring contest also are available now at any French Creek District store, Miles said.

Proceeds will be used for projects along Detroit Road, Miles said, such as adding floral baskets and banners and putting up holiday decorations in the district.

 “This winter has been hard for all of us,” said Miles, owner of Details and The Littlest Details. She said she and the other merchants hope Spring into Avon will bring long-awaited warmer temperatures and people ready to enjoy what the district has to offer.

This is the first year for this event, which Miles said was adapted from the antique-oriented Heart of Avon, and organizers hope to add to it in future years.