Town-wide Character Easter Egg Hunt

Founded in 2023, Bourne’s town-wide Character Scavenger Easter Egg Hunt by Buzzards Bay residents Shelbi and Rich Palmer, brings hundreds of families together for a free, joyful community tradition. 

The scavenger hunt stretches across Bourne’s 7 villages

What began as a single handmade decoration, quickly turned into something much bigger.

Christmas 2022, Rich asked Shelbi to create a wooden cutout of the Grinch—classically posed in a Santa suit sneaking away with stolen Christmas lights; not just any Grinch though; he wanted it six feet tall. Shelbi went to work, built it from wood, painted it by hand, and then kept going. Soon there was a tree, Whoville characters, and eventually an entire Whoville display outside their home. That Christmas, they hosted a small event, giving out hot chocolate and gifts to visitors. The response was overwhelming; encouraged by the community’s excitement, Shelbi kept creating more characters—each one handcrafted with care and precision. Every character takes nearly two full days to complete, involving cutting the wood with a jigsaw, sanding, painting three to four coats of each color, finishing the back, and sealing everything with a clear coat. What started as a hobby quickly became a labor of love that felt closer to a profession. When Christmas ended, Shelbi faced a new question in spring 2023: What do we do with all these characters? She hated the idea of storing them away in a basement until the next Christmas, so she posted a simple message on social media asking if anyone would be willing to host a character, and help turn it into a town-wide scavenger hunt. The response was instant — everyone wanted to help. Addresses were collected, maps were created, and eggs were assembled. That first year featured 72 characters, including SpongeBob, Chip from Beauty and the Beast, Dumbo, Paw Patrol characters, Bluey, Elmo, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and many more. 

By 2025, the event had grown to an incredible scale:

·36,000 eggs

·120 Characters

·300 eggs at each location

·Every stop featuring a different surprise item

We have also built an amazing volunteer team to help make it all possible.

A key part of that team is Lauren DeGregorio, from Oplaysis, my “second-hand rock,” who helps coordinate and support the event every step of the way.

The scavenger hunt begins at O’playsis, the official starting location, where families can enjoy:

·Cookie decorating

·Easter crafts

·Photos with the Easter Bunny and Chicken

·A petting zoo

·Face painting

·Balloon animals, and so much more.

Families pick up their maps, enjoy the festivities, and then head out across Bourne to find

the characters and collect eggs. Some families select a few destinations, while others have completed the entire route, spending up to eight hours enjoying the experience together. That’s the beauty of it, the choice is yours.

Please continue to send your pictures to Shelbi through Facebook or text message

to keep these beautiful memories alive. This event is free to the public, though it is made possible with cash donations and support from the community via an Amazon wish list shared throughout the year. The cost is significant—over $40,000in toys and candy alone, not including expenses at the starting location. What makes this event truly special is the community behind it; From hosts who open their homes, to volunteers, donors, and families who participate year after year; Bourne comes together to make this magical tradition possible.

Thank you to everyone who supports, donates, hosts, and believes in this event.

You are the reason it continues to grow and bring joy to hundreds of families every year.