MONTAGUE — Not all hope was lost for celebrating Easter weekend this year.
Peter Cottontail made an appearance in all five of the Montague villages Saturday morning. Escorted by the Montague Police and Fire Departments, the famed rabbit began his tour on Avenue A in Turners Falls before reaching his final destination at Second Street by Unity Park.
The rabbit was greeted along the way by families from Montague and the surrounding towns; some waited on their lawns, others parked their cars along the route and waited for the procession to drive by.
The tour, which was organized by the Montague Parks and Recreation Department with help from the police and fire departments, was designed as a socially distant way of celebrating Easter weekend.
The event was in place of the town’s annual Peter Cottontail’s EGGstravaganza, which was originally scheduled for April 11. That event has since been postponed to the summer.
Montague residents who attended the tour said the parade was an opportunity to get out of the house — and opportunities for that don’t come along often these days.
Diane Hansen took her two grandchildren, Eden and Archer Young, to see Peter Cottontail and the fire trucks drive through Montague center on Saturday morning.
“It’s so wonderful for the kids — for all of us — to enjoy, with everything that’s going on,” she said.
Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 263.