Have a dentist handy

Huntington Beach children won’t have to wait for the Easter Bunny to come to fill their baskets with candy.

The Community Services Department and the Huntington Beach Kiwanis Club will treat Surf City families to an Easter Hunt at Central Park Saturday — a city tradition since 1990.

The Kiwanis Easter Hunt Chairman Mich Yamamoto said he expects anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 children to join the hunt. “You won’t believe how many kids there are until you actually see it,” Yamamoto said.

Volunteers spread out more than 1,000 pounds of candy through Central Park. Children are separated into age groups that do their hunts at different times.

What will be conspicuously missing from the Easter baskets are eggs.

“We did the Easter egg thing when they first started, that didn’t work well,” Yamamoto said.

Huntington Beach Recreation Supervisor Dottie Hughes said there is simply too much candy to encapsulate in bright plastic eggs.

But the kids aren’t too disappointed. There are all kinds of other activities to entertain them. The Community Services Department has arranged visits from a number of city agencies. Children will be able to explore a police car and a fire engine. Lifeguards will be on hand to talk about beach safety while City Works shows off tractors. The event also boasts crafts, music and games, complete with prizes for every player. The Scottish Rite will have a booth to fingerprint and ID children.

Yamamoto has chaired the event for eight years. He said the Easter hunt is a tradition for many families.

“We’ve had parents there where we see them back again and again as the kids grow up,” Yamamoto said.

What: 18th Annual Easter Hunt

When:

Disabled Children, 9:30 a.m.

2 and under, 10 a.m.

3-4, 10:30 a.m.

5-6, 11 a.m.

7-8, 11:30 a.m.

Where: Huntington Central Park, near the intersection of Edwards Street and Inlet Drive

Cost: Free

Information: (714) 536-8486

Note: This is a partial list of places to celebrate Holy Week in Huntington Beach, for a listing of more churches, visit www.hbnews.us/directory.html.

Sunrise Service

Numerous Huntington Beach churches will join for Surf City Alive at 6:15 a.m. Saturday in Pier Plaza at the Huntington Beach Pier. The churches combine to provide outdoor worship music and an Easter message.

Calvary Baptist Church, 8281 Garfield Ave.

Good Friday service begins at 7 p.m. with Easter services at 8:45 and 10 a.m. For more information, call (714) 962-6860 or visit www.cbchb.org.

Seabreeze Community Church, 18162 Gothard St.

Good Friday service at 6:30 p.m., Saturday service at 6:30 p.m., and Easter services at 9 and 10:30 a.m. For more information, call (714) 969-7622 or visit www.seabreezechurch.com.

Saints Simon and Jude Catholic Church, 20444 Magnolia St.

Holy Thursday Mass at 7 p.m., Good Friday Mass at 7 p.m., Easter Vigil Saturday at 8 p.m. The church will erect a tent for an Easter Mass at 6 a.m. There will be simultaneous Masses in the tent and church at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and noon. For more information, call (714) 962-3333 or visit www.ssj.org.

St. Vincent de Paul, 8345 Talbert Ave. Holy Thursday will be celebrated with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7 p.m. Holy Communion and Veneration of the Cross will be at 2 p.m. in English and 7 p.m. in Spanish for Good Friday. Easter Vigil Mass is at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Easter Mass is at 7, 8:30, 10, and 11:30 a.m. with a Spanish Mass at 1 p.m. For more information, call (714) 842-3000 or visit www.svdphb.org.

St. Wilfrid’s Episcopal Church, 18631 Chapel Lane.

Maundy Thursday celebration with Holy Eucharist and foot washing at 7 p.m. Good Friday will be celebrated with meditative Taizè music at noon and 7 p.m. Great Vigil of Easter along with Holy Baptism is Saturday at 8 p.m. Easter services at 7:30, 8:45 and 11 a.m. For more information, call (714) 962-7512 or visit www.stwilfridschurch.org.

Grace Lutheran Church, 6931 Edinger Ave. Maundy Thursday will be celebrated at 7 p.m. Good Friday services are at noon and 7 p.m. Author Ray Anderson will preach on his book “Judas and Jesus: In the Shadow of the Cross” at an Easter Eve Candlelight service at 6 p.m. Easter services are at 6:30, 9:30 and 11 a.m. For more information, call (714) 897-0361 or visit www.gracehb.org.