Prattville's Beloved Easter Ornament Hunt Ends After Seven Years Downtown

After six years of bringing neighbors together, Julianne Hansen, a local artist and small-business owner, is preparing to host her seventh and final Easter Ornament Hunt, a community event that has drawn hundreds of families downtown year after year.

Hansen, owner of Julianne Hansen Fine Art and Pottery, held the event Saturday, April 4, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., or until all ornament cards were found. This year's hunt included extra prizes donated by local businesses in addition to the signature handcrafted ornaments, a free event that has become a seasonal highlight for families across the River Region.

The tradition started during the COVID-19 pandemic, when all Easter egg hunts were canceled and people needed something they could do outside at a safe distance from others. In the first two years, Hansen sanitized each ornament and bagged them individually, wearing gloves to hide them. Many ornaments broke using that method and she couldn't regulate who took more than one, which led her to switch to a card-redemption system.

Under that system, participants searched throughout downtown for official ornament cards, which could be redeemed at Hansen's shop for a handcrafted ornament at no cost. Organizers hid only the cards, not the ornaments themselves, and each person present could redeem one card for a single ornament, with no exceptions.

Hansen's studio, Julianne Hansen Fine Art and Pottery, is located in historic downtown Prattville at 173 W. Main Street. The event remained completely free throughout its run, with all ornaments handmade and provided by Hansen.

"It has been an honor for me to be able to provide this to the community," Hansen said. "We do this out of the kindness of our hearts because we know what community means. Another thing I find cool is that when we are downtown and people are looking, they look as families and couples. They are actively engaging with family members and friends. There is no digital element to this whatsoever. It is just to enjoy the beauty of what we have around downtown. You can enjoy the scenery, and I have had many people tell me that they have never seen this part of downtown before. I have never seen the historic marker before. To me, it just thrills me because it brings people into downtown Prattville."

"We have had so much fun creating these ornaments and hiding the cards," Hansen said. "We sincerely hope everyone enjoys this year's event as much as we often have over the years."

As the tradition comes to an end, Hansen said she hoped the community would gather one last time, not just to search for ornaments, but to celebrate the connections, creativity, and simple moments that made the Easter Ornament Hunt a meaningful part of downtown Prattville.