Just because public health and safety precautions remain in place due to the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t mean Easter-time traditions can’t be enjoyed. They will be a bit different this year, however.
In Hellertown, for example, drive-thru visits with the Easter Bunny and egg hunts are being planned. And at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, families will be able to visit and have photos taken with the Easter Bunny while maintaining social distance.
The Upper Saucon Township lifestyle center announced this week that photo sessions with the big rabbit will begin Saturday, March 20 in the stone gazebo in Town Square (near Starbucks). Last year they were canceled, as most businesses statewide were shut down at Easter, during the beginning stages of the pandemic.
Presented by Lehigh Valley Health Network, this year’s photo opportunities are provided by Dan’s Camera City of Allentown, which is handling reservations via their website.
Reservations for the photos with the Easter Bunny are required.
To help keep guests safe, the Promenade Shops said a number of COVID-19 precautions will be in place, including:
- Hourly sanitation of touch points.
- Temperature checks for staff and the Easter Bunny prior to the start of each shift.
- Face coverings being worn by staff.
- A thorough disinfection of the set during breaks and after closing each night.
- One-way traffic in and out of the gazebo.
Easter Bunny photo sessions are limited to one household per reservation and guests ages two and up are required to wear face coverings. Guests are not permitted to sit on the Easter Bunny’s lap during their visit due to social distancing requirements, and distancing markers will be in place as visual reminders to maintain a six-foot distance.
The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley is located at 2845 Center Valley Parkway in Center Valley. (FILE PHOTO)
Hand sanitizing stations will be located at the Gazebo entrance and guests will be asked to sanitize their hands as they arrive.
All guests are also being asked to adhere to CDC COVID-19 guidelines, which include:
- Washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water aren’t available.
- Covering coughs or sneezes with an elbow rather than hands, or with a tissue that is then thrown away.
- Avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Staying home if you are feeling unwell.
Photo session with the Easter Bunny be held weather-permitting, and the schedule is subject to change without advance notice, according to the Promenade Shops.
The Promenade Shops website also states that cell phone and personal photography are prohibited at the event.
According to the Dan’s Camera site, because the photos will be taken outside there won’t be a Plexiglass shield used at the Promenade Shops location. However, during photos inside the Wind Creek Casino in Bethlehem, the Easter Bunny will be behind a shield.
The site lists the following reservation time slots, with “bunny breaks” from 2 to 2:30 p.m.:
- Saturdays, March 20 & 27 and April 3, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sundays, March 21 & 28, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Friday, April 2 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
