MARYSVILLE — It started with the idea of “drumming bunnies,” and on April 4 the second annual Fit-Tastic Easter Egg Hunt on Third Street offered drumming bunnies and more for children and families alike.

Christine Clementson, owner of the Carabinieri Bar espresso stand, became the organizer of the Fit-Tastic Easter Egg Hunt after a meeting of the Marysville Downtown Merchants Association in which she kept thinking about the drumming bunny from the TV battery commercials. Not only did this lead to Third Street being decorated with six-foot-tall plywood Easter bunnies to coincide with the holiday, but it also led to the formation of a “Drumming Bunnies” quartet, made up of actual drummers dressed as Easter bunnies, complete with large bunny ears and even larger bunny feet.

Clementson then approached her fellow members of the Allen Creek Community Church about contributing activities of their own to what had become an Easter egg hunt featuring the “Drumming Bunnies.” In response, one of the church’s members suggested turning the event into a fitness-oriented affair, with activities to help children get into shape.

“From there, the name just popped out — ‘Fit-Tastic Easter Egg Hunt,’” Clementson said.

This year, the egg hunt amounted to an obstacle course of activities, including a balance beam, a tunnel crawl, hopscotch, walking on coffee can stilts, a tire-march and a set of soccer goals, for children to kick balls into. Children received Easter eggs for each activity they completed, but a more traditional Easter egg hunt was still available to younger children, on a separate open grassy area, so that little ones could fill their Easter baskets as well.

“It’s just a really good way to emphasize fitness during the fun of Easter,” Clementson said.

The event also included a bouncy house and an Easter story tent, courtesy of the Allen Creek Community Church, as well as music throughout the day from the Creek Side Jazz Band Ensemble, interspersed with performances from the “Drumming Bunnies.” Local mother Catherine Konteh appreciated both the activities and the family atmosphere of the event.

“My daughter is six, so [the obstacle course] made it more fun for her,” Konteh said. “It focuses on physical skills and not just candy. It’s really neat to see all these people from the community having a good time together. I really appreciate the downtown merchants putting together activities like this for the community.”

Marysville resident Pamella Earls and her granddaughter stumbled upon the event by accident, but they were glad to have discovered it.

“We were wondering what we were going to do today and we had no idea this was going on,” Earls said. “She’s having so much fun. She likes the bunnies, but she’s kind of afraid of them too. It’s a church event and that’s cool. Her little eggs have little crosses and Bible stories, so I enjoy that. This consumed a couple of hours and it was fun, so now we’re ready for a nap-time,” she laughed.

“It’s something to make people aware that Third Street is a community-oriented street,” Clementson said. “We are alive and vibrant, and we want you to come down and have fun with us.”