Glassblowing business working to create a twist on the traditional Easter egg hunt
By Marcus McIntosh
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NEWTON, Iowa (KCCI) — Inside Fuego Hot Glass in Newton, preparations are underway for an Easter egg hunt with an unusual twist: more than 600 of the eggs hidden across town are hand-blown glass creations.
The colorful event combines art, community and competition, with organizers hoping it becomes a new local tradition.
At the center of it are John and Mary Curiel, who opened Fuego Hot Glass in November.
The couple said the idea grew out of a smaller holiday promotion at Christmas, when they hid ornaments that disappeared almost immediately.
That response inspired them to try something similar for Easter, only on a much larger scale.
“We had hidden a few Christmas ornaments at the end of our season last year on Christmas Eve, and they were gobbled up within minutes,” Mary Curiel said. “We were making some eggs, and we just said, ‘Hey, let’s hide a few of them.’ And then we said, ‘Hey, let’s see if anyone else wants to hide a few of them.’”
The concept quickly caught on.
More than 50 businesses have joined the effort by buying the hand-blown eggs and hiding them within Newton city limits.
Curiel said the enthusiastic response from local businesses has helped turn a simple idea into a citywide event.
“So we’re running with it. We’re going to see what happens,” Curiel said. “And we are just delighted with how well it’s been received and how generous these businesses have been.”
Hints for the eggs’ locations will be posted on Facebook at 11:45 a.m. Saturday, with the all-ages hunt beginning at noon.
Supporters say the event is about more than finding eggs — it is also about spotlighting local businesses and bringing people together.
“What a way to bring the community together and promote other businesses, you know, in the town that you may not even know exist,” Jill Immel, Montana Mike’s manager, said.
Each glass egg takes about five to seven minutes to make, with colors and designs customized for participating businesses.
When the hunt ends, one participant will also walk away with a golden egg, redeemable for a $200 gift card to Fuego Hot Glass and a $50 gift card to Montana Mike’s Steakhouse.
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