EAST PALESTINE — The village has a lot to celebrate in 2026.

Not only are the birds chirping and flowers blooming after a frigid winter, East Palestine also has reopened its park after years of work.

Residents welcome the familiarity associated with the village’s annual Spring Fling, which the East Palestine Chamber of Commerce has organized for a decade.

The event is held between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday, April 4, largely throughout the village’s park and downtown shopping district.

The day’s activities kick off with fishing down at the pond in city park, which recently had been restocked with rainbow trout by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Wildlife. A limited supply of all size fishing poles will be available for those needing gear.

Officials remind anglers age 16 and older that they need to have a license to participate in the day of fishing, which begins at 8 a.m.

Although the fishing event is new, the remaining events are familiar favorites, according to Kat Smith, who is the chamber’s event coordinator.

Visitors can dine on pancakes and sausage with the Easter Bunny between 9 and 10:30 a.m. at the park’s community center.

Hosted by the East Palestine Rotary Club, Breakfast with the Easter Bunny allows diners to not only enjoy breakfast favorites but take selfies with the bunny himself and possibly win a Kindle.

Being that the Spring Fling is being held the day before Easter, an Easter egg hunt is a must. The village’s park board is not disappointing, hosting the egg grab at noon near the park’s athletic courts.

Little information is available on the Easter egg hunt, which in past years has had age divisions.

Smith said the chamber continues its effort on nurturing visitors’ green thumbs with two events at 147 N Market St. greenspace, which is located next to her shop, Kat’s Krystals.

In addition to hosting a Plant A Flower, where youth can stop by and decorate their own pot for their sunflower plant, the chamber also will host its annual Flower Scavenger Trail, where visitors can pick up their Trail Brochure before traveling to various listed locations where they will detail signage denoting specific flowers. The more flowers that their trail brochure notes, the better the chance to win gift cards.

All trail brochures must be returned to the chamber tent in that same greenspace by 3:30 p.m. to qualify for prizes, she noted.

Food trucks expected to be on site include Perk Avenue’s Mobile Sip Shop, D&K BBQ and More as well as The Snack Shack.