Hippity hoppity, Easter is on its way to the Enterprise Farmers Market with the return of the Easter hat parade and contest as well as the deviled egg contest on Saturday, Mar. 23 from 7 a.m. to noon. Mayor William E. Cooper and the newly crowned 2024 Enterprise Queens will kick off the event with a welcome ceremony at 8:30 a.m.

“Join us for a morning at the Market with ‘eggstraordinary’ contests that appeal to all ages,” Special Projects Coordinator Kay Kirkland said. “We are bringing back some of our favorite holiday traditions like an Easter hat contest and deviled egg contest for everyone to enjoy.”

Registration starts at 9 a.m. for the Easter hat contest.  Starting at 10 a.m., contestants will participate in a brief parade on the activity field on the north side of the Farmers Market building. Adults and children can show off Easter hats and bonnets they’ve created at home and have a chance to win prizes courtesy of Simply South Outfitters. 

Entries will be judged in five age categories:

• 5 and under
• 6 to 9
• 10 to 13
• 14 to 17
• 18 and above. 

Prizes will also be given in three special categories:

• Most Beautiful/Elegant
• Most Whimsical/Wacky
• Most Original/Creative.

“You’ll see hats embellished with everything from plastic eggs, stuffed Easter bunnies and chicks and colored feathers, to candy bars and edible Peeps," Kirkland said. "We have even had entries with farm toys and rotating helicopters!”

Registration for the deviled egg contest will also begin at 9 a.m. Deviled egg contestants will need to submit their main entry of 12 halves (or whole eggs depending on the concept), along with a sample plate or container of six of the same eggs, which will be taste-tested by the judges, who will award the following categories:

• Most Devilicous (Best Tasting)
• Most Eggsquisite (Beautiful)
• Most Eggstraditional (Best Traditional Recipe)
• Most Eggstraordinary (Best Non-Traditional)
• Most Eggcellent (Best Overall). 

Cash prizes, sponsored by Cutts Restaurant, will be awarded at 11:30 a.m. Entrants must be present to win.

“We’re ‘egg-cited’ to see what ‘egg-traordinary’ creations our contestants will come up with this year,” Kirkland said.  “Whether you’re a deviled egg aficionado or a first-time contestant, there’s plenty of egg-citing opportunities to show off your egg-stra special skills!”

In addition to the contests, the Enterprise Farmers Market, located at 525 N. Main Street, will feature more than 30 booths with fresh seasonal produce, farm-raised beef, home baked items and an array of arts and crafts by local vendors. Photos with the Easter Bunny will also be available throughout the morning.

For more information, or to register for the contests, please contact Kay Kirkland at (334) 348-2310, visit the Farmers Market Facebook page, or visit https://enterpriseal.gov/services/farmers_market/learning_opportunities.php