Barely a week after the first Easter Bunny sighting of the season at Hamilton Place mall, their numbers are multiplying - as are other Easter preludes. Here's what's coming up.
* Bass Pro's Easter Bunny: The Easter Bunny hops into the East Ridge Bass Pro Shop/Cabela's, 620 Camp Jordan Parkway, this weekend. Families must make a digital reservation at basspro.com/easter or cabelas.com/easter. Hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2-6 p.m. April 2, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. April 3 and 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Easter Sunday. With a reservation, you'll receive a free studio-quality 4-by-6-inch color photo, with an option to upgrade to a photo package. Temperature screenings and other health protocols will be in place.
More Easter Bunnies are due at the Chattanooga Zoo's Hug a Bunny celebration April 2-3 and aboard the Southern Belle's Easter cruise on April 4.
* Eggstravagant Easter Egg Hunt: Mayfield Farm Park, 257 Highway 307 E in Athens, Tennessee, known for its fall corn maze, is hatching a new spring tradition with egg hunts the next two Saturdays (March 27 and April 3). Organizers promise they'll have "eggs everywhere" across 3 acres, and supplies will be replenished as the day wears on. Bring your own basket or borrow one from the farm. Turn in the eggs (and farm baskets) for a prize pack. The Easter Bunny will be on hand for take-your-own photos, and all farm activities, including a zip line, corn hole and bounce pads, will be open. Timed-entry tickets ($7-$12 plus fees) are not available at the gate. Purchase online at www.mayfieldfarmpark.com.
* Egg kits: The Chattery has reimagined its Great Adult Egg Hunt fundraiser with three "BasKit" options to make your own Easter fun at home. They come with art supplies and/or treats, and there's a Hoppy Hour kit just for adults. Cost is $35. All basket sales end at 1 p.m. March 31, with pickup available 5-7 p.m. April 2 or 10 a.m.-1 p.m. April 3 at The Chattery, 1800 Rossville Ave., Suite 108B. Kits can be shipped for an additional fee. Order at TheChattery.org/egghunt.
* Biblical epic: The seventh annual TCM Big Screen Classics Series continues with a 65th anniversary screening of Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments" at select cinemas nationwide. Showtimes are at 1 and 6 p.m. Sunday at AMC Chattanooga 18, 5080 South Terrace, and UEC Theatres 14, 137 Pleasant Grove Road, Cleveland. The Chattanooga theater also will screen the film at 6 p.m. March 31.
The story of Moses (Charlton Heston) from the Bible's Old Testament, the 1956 film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won for special effects. It remains one of the biggest box-office successes in cinema history (adjusted for inflation). The anniversary event includes exclusive insights from Ben Mankiewicz of Turner Classic Movies.
Buy tickets for this and other films in the series, which continues monthly through December, at www.fathomevents.com or at participating box offices.
* Biblical theater: Unity Dance Troupe will present "The Veil: Story of Creation" in three performances this weekend. Now in its ninth season, the Broadway-style production depicts the creation of the world, the fall of man and redemption through grace using dance, theatrics, artistic effects and a handcrafted set and costumes. Performances start at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday and at 5 p.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church of Cleveland, 1275 Stuart Road NE. A livestream version is available Saturday. Tickets are $12-$20 ($25 for the livestream). To purchase, go to www.unitydancetroupe.com/tickets or visit showclix.com and search "The Veil."
* Ballet gala: Chattanooga Dance Theatre's spring gala features the full-length classical ballet "Giselle" and new works by local choreographers Louie Marin-Howard and Melissa Miller. Shows take place at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the company's studios, 5151 Austin Road. Dancers and audience members will be masked. Tickets, including a virtual option, are $15. Visit chattanoogadancetheatre.com for a link.
* Beethoven's Octet, one of the composer's earliest works for winds, will be featured in the next Chattanooga Symphony & Opera performances, scheduled at 7 p.m. Friday and at 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, 214 E. Eighth St.
Also on the program are Italian flautist and composer Leonardo De Lorenzo's "I Tre Virtuosi" and English composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's posthumously published "5 Fantasiestücke." Tickets are $25. Purchase at ChattanoogaSymphony.org.
* Spring symphony: The UTC Symphony Orchestra will present its Spring Concert as a free livestreamed event (no audience) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The link is https://livestream.com/utc/symphonyconcertspr21.
The concert will open with award-winning local composer Ethan McGrath's "Fantasia on Sacred Harp Tunes," which incorporates songs of the early American shaped-note tradition. Also on the program are the first two movements of Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 9 in C Major, "The Great."
Contributed Photo / Ethan McGrathConducted by Sandy Morris, the 45-member orchestra features music majors and non-majors from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga State Community College, UTC faculty members, area music educators and other amateur and professional musicians from the area.
* The Caverns, 555 Charlie Roberts Road in Pelham, has three bands scheduled over three days: Lucero on Friday, Moon Taxi on Saturday (sold out) and Steep Canyon Rangers on Sunday. Shows start at 7 p.m. CDT. Get ticket information at TheCaverns.com/shows.
Contact Lisa Denton at 423-757-6281 or ldenton@timesfreepress.com.