5 things to do in the Illinois Valley: Spring, Easter themed events highlight the weekend

1 - Skydive Chicago’s Easter Egg Hunt and Bunny Jump: Yes, the Easter Bunny will be parachuting into the event at about 11:30 a.m. Sunday. An egg hunt will be hosted 11 a.m. on the south lawn of Skydive Chicago, 3215 E. 1969th Road, Ottawa. The Easter Bunny will be available for pictures at 10:45 a.m. prior to the jump. The event is free and open to the public. No registration is necessary. Bring your own basket or bag for children to collect eggs.

2 - Bureau County Fairgrounds Spring Fling Craft and Vendor Show: The event will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 811 W. Peru St., Princeton. It will include free admission and feature items for sale such as house plants, epoxy tumblers, wooden carved bowls, felted Easter baskets, handmade jewelry, cutting boards, soap, candles, caramel corn, pop can art, Mary Kay cosmetics, wreaths, hot wheels, toys, antiques and home decor. There also will be various flea market items for sale.

3 - Grand Ridge Fest’s Flashlight Egg Hunt: The event for children 8 and older will begin at 8 p.m. at Grand Ridge Park. Bring a flashlight. Parents must be present and they must RSVP in order to give an idea of how many eggs to hide.

4 - An Evening with Gene Weygandt: This is a do over, since the event was postponed last week because of dangerous storms. The interview will be 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Illinois Valley Community College Theatre. Admission is free. Weygandt, an IVCC alumnus, will participate in a one-on-one interview with IVCC Director/Choreographer Don Grant Zellmer and then field questions from the audience. Weygandt has multiple credits on TV, stage and the silver screen. Weygandt will discuss his experiences for a seminar modeled after “Inside the Actor’s Studio.”

5 - More egg hunts: 10 a.m. at Crotty Park in Seneca; 10 a.m. at Hopkins Park in Granville; 10 a.m. at Wenona City Park; 10:30 a.m. at Soldiers and Sailors Park in Princeton; 11 a.m. at Grand Ridge Park; 11 a.m. at Carey Memorial Park in Utica; noon at Illini State Park in Marseilles; 1 p.m. at Bureau County Fairgrounds in Princeton; 1 p.m. at Serena United Methodist Church, 2259 U.S. 52; 1 to 3 p.m. Hurray for Spring event at Jordan block with a scavenger hunt to go along with egg hunt; 2 p.m. at New Hope Church in Princeton; 2 p.m. The Villas of Holly Brook, 2002 E. Main St., Streator.

Would you like your event featured in this weekly feature? The first step is submitting your events to The Times, NewsTribune or Bureau County Republican’s community calendar at starvedrockcountry.com/local-events/ where they are then considered for inclusion in this feature.