Burnside Easter Egg Hunt this Saturday keeps Jones' legacy rolling along

Christopher Harris, Commonwealth Journal, Somerset, Ky.
·2 min read

Mar. 26—Perhaps the two things loved most by the late Emma Lou Jones — besides her husband former Burnside mayor Ron — were seeing smiles on children's faces and the City of Burnside itself.

It's appropriate then that her name is on perhaps the city's biggest event for young people of the year — and it's coming up this weekend.

On Saturday, March 30, the City of Burnside will hold the Emma Lou Jones Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Cole Park, offering a chance for kids to not only take part in a fun holiday tradition but also perhaps walk away with a prize they'll remember for the rest of their lives.

Registration for the event will begin at 9 a.m., with the hunt beginning at 10 a.m. The event is free to enter.

There will be different groups for ages 4 and under, 5-8, 9-12 and a special needs children. All groups will be hunting candy-filled eggs at the same time, and there will be some Easter Bunnies on hand to lead the groups and "hopefully keep everyone together," said Burnside Tourism Director Amy Sweet with a laugh.

But there are more than just eggs to be won at this event. At the time of registration, each child enters their name on a raffle ticket, which will give them an opportunity to have their name drawn for a new bicycle, provided by the Burnside Masonic Lodge, or a Supreme Big Wheel Scooter for ages 5 and up, courtesy of Miller's Tile and Flooring.

"I know that the Masonic Lodge is using some of their Christmas Island money that they earned from (working) the gate to get these bicycles," said Sweet. "It's neat how it's full circle, coming back to this community."

Each age group will also be eligible for a gift basket giveaway, with 30 Easter baskets donated by Kentucky Hillbilly Jeep Krew.

Sweet wasn't around Burnside City Government in the days of Emma Lou Jones but has come to understand Jones' place as the founder and "backbone" of the Easter Egg Hunt each year. In 2021, the city announced that the event would be named after Jones, who passed away in January of that year, and her legacy continues to support the festivities even today.

"(The event is important because) of Burnside being such a small community and how we all help each other and rely on each other," said Sweet. "It's just something that's fun and free and family-involved. If we can just have this one little thing where we can get the community together, it just sets the (tone) for the rest of the year."