ROSALIND Park is a hive of activity as Easter celebrations in Bendigo get underway.
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Young families have been flowing through the park since this morning as one of the highlights of the Bendigo Easter Festival – the Easter Egg Hunt – kicked off.
The hunt is a major fundraiser for Vision Australia, a not-for-profit organisation which helps people who are blind or have no vision to live the life they choose.
Each year, Bendigo SES members assist Vision Australia with the staging of the Easter Egg Hunt.
They this year enlisted the help of Marong SES members for the bumper hunt, which will be staged over two days for the first time.
Their efforts were appreciated by the children of Bendigo, who cited the Easter Egg Hunt as one of their favourite parts of the city’s festivities.
But there was much more to come, with Sun Loong’s appearance during the Easter Parade also among the eagerly anticipated events.
Families made an early start on the rides and activities in Rosalind Park and the surrounding streets.
From Lego construction to creating lanterns, painting and even getting one’s face painted, there was plenty to see and do on Friday morning.
Artists could be seen setting up their easels throughout the park and its surrounds as part of the Easter Paint Out.
They will be capturing scenes from the festival throughout the long weekend.
Their artworks will be displayed in the Bendigo Visitor Information Centre.
People thronged in the aisles of the Rotary Art and Craft Market, which extended from the park past the Dai Gum San Chinese Precinct towards Ulumbarra Theatre.
Kathy Botham stopped by the market in the hope of buying some gifts.
“We’re off to Canberra tomorrow so we’re after some Bendigo stuff to take with us as a present for my brother,” she said.
“We’ve got some fudge and we’re going to see if there’s some local wine.”
Garry Anstice of The Fudge Factory has been coming to Bendigo for the market for years.
The business is based in Warracknabeal, in the Wimmera district of Victoria.
“It’s a good market, it really is,” Mr Anstice said.
“As far as we know, it’s the only market in Victoria on Good Friday.”
The passage of time on Friday morning could be marked by the increasingly intoxicating scent of barbecues and food stands.
Members of the Epsom Football Club were among those rolling up their sleeves.
Spokesman Trevor Harvey said the sales of hot jam donuts would help support the club and its junior and senior sides.
“We have absolutely no idea how many donuts we’re going to sell today,” he said.
“We're expecting to at least clear the boxes we have there, which is about 1500”.