Cold, wet weather caused the hunts to be moved indoors.

“We’re happy to keep putting the Easter egg hunts on. We love to have people here to have some fun before Easter Sunday,” said New Ulm Park & Recreation Program Supervisor Ben Doeden. “We had about 250 people in the New Ulm Civic Center. We’re happy and fortunate to have a lot of space indoors for it due to the cool, wet weather.”

Doeden said more than 7,000 pieces of candy and 750 plastic eggs were distributed to children in three large, taped off circles in the south arena of the civic center.

Families lined up for photos of their children with the Easter Bunny after the hunting was completed.

Staff photo by Fritz Busch Kirby Lieser of New Ulm gets a hug from the Easter Bunny at the New Ulm Park and Recreation Easter egg hunt at the New Ulm Civic Center Saturday. Lieser’s parents are Erika and Derek Lieser of New Ulm.

As light snow and frozen rain fell at times Saturday afternoon, a steady stream of parents and children visited the Schell’s Brewery Visitor Center Lower Taproom to pull eggs out of buckets for prizes.

The brewery had planned to hide 600 eggs, including 10 golden eggs with bigger prizes, across its garden grounds, along with the popular adult Easter Keg Hunt, Easter Bunny photos, and other family activities. 

When temperatures made outdoor egg hunting impractical, staff quickly adapted, moving everything into the warm taproom and Bierhalle.

Kids picked three colored plastic eggs in a fun bucket-draw game right in the taproom. Each color meant a different prize, bubble fidgets, stamps, bracelets, pens, and small toys. 

Upstairs in the Bierhalle, families found tables loaded with coloring pages and candy, plenty of board games, and the Easter Bunny himself circulating through the crowd, handing out treats and posing for photos. The beer hall stayed full of families coloring, laughing, and enjoying the cozy indoor vibe.

Henley von Aston, daughter of Schell's General manager Curt Van Asten, shares a smile and with the Easter Bunny inside the warm taproom. (Photo by Amy Zents)

The adult Easter Keg Hunt, however, stayed true to tradition and ran outdoors as planned. The winning team, “The InTIMMidators”, Ryan Timm, Dan Timm, Jaimie Timm, and Bonnie Timm, claimed the 2026 title by locating the hidden keg at Nehls Park on the 9-hole disc golf course. They cracked the puzzle using just five of the seven clever clues.

Families traveled from across the region, including Christian and Amanda Fredrickson of Inver Grove Heights, who brought their daughter Beatrice and enjoyed both the kids’ activities and the adult keg hunt.

“We came back specifically for this event after loving Oktoberfest here last year,” Christian Fredrickson said.

General Manager Curt Van Asten said the brewery’s quick pivot showed its commitment to being a true community gathering spot.

“We’re excited to host these events every year,” he said. “It’s an annual tradition, and being a family brewery, it’s important that we create something fun for everyone, kids and adults alike, especially when families are together for the holidays.”

Staff photo by Fritz Busch Paisley Jergenson of Cumberland, Wi., right, holds an Easter egg at the Easter Egg Hoppy Hunt at Schell’s Brewery Saturday. Pictured from left are Lisa Fischer and Dan Fischer of Nicollet.

Staff from every department pitched in to keep the fun going, including Ryeland Stevens, who normally works in the quality-control lab testing beer but spent the day running the gift shop register as souvenirs flew off the shelves.

“I think everybody’s been having a great time,” Stevens said. “So that’s the best part.”

Christian, Amanda and daughter Beatrice Fredrickson of Inver Grove Heights traveled to Schell’s for the Easter fun — and enjoyed both the indoor kids’ activities and the adult keg hunt. (Photo by Amy Zents)