Blink, and you’ll miss it.

On Saturday, an assembly of fledging scavengers will convene at Beckwith Park downtown. They seek not precious metals nor lost treasures, but something much sweeter, and, to some people, something much more valuable.

Candy.

This Saturday is the 14th annual Easter Eggstravaganza, Dowagiac’s yearly Easter egg hunt for children 2 to 10 years old. This year’s event is hosted by the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, with sponsorship and labor provided by Honor Credit Union.

Honor employees and event co-chairs Jessica Kehrer and Bonnie Ferrier have been working with chamber Treasurer Kris Lamphere since February to help organize the activities and events for the day. Employees with the Dowagiac Honor branch have also been working since March to stuff the more than 4,000 eggs that will be scattered around Beckwith Park, said manager Janie Reigenberg

“We stuffed all the eggs,” Reigenberg said. “It took us days and hours to stuff them all.”

This year is the first that the lifelong Dowagiac resident is helping out with the event, she said. Reigenberg has been working with the credit union since August, actually helping with another Dowagiac event the business sponsored, the annual Rod and Roll Classic Auto Show, before her first day at the office.

“I knew that Dowagiac had the [Eggstravaganza] every year,” Reigenberg said. “While driving on Depot Drive, I could see the eggs sprinkled all over the lawn. You couldn’t miss them.”

As this is her first year involved, the manager said it’s been a lot of fun working with her staff to stuff the plastic eggs with candy and stickers in preparation for the weekend.

“I’m not gonna lie, we stuck a few pieces of candy in our mouths while we were stuffing them,” she said.

Employees with the Department of Public Services will take the eggs and place them around the park before the hunt on Saturday.

“It starts at 12 p.m., at 12:05 it’s over,” Reigenberg said. “In five minutes, the eggs are all gone.”

In addition to the Easter egg hunt, there will be a number of other activities children can participate in during the morning, including games like bean bag toss, caulk art and a hula hoop contest, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Kids will also be able to meet with the Easter Bunny during that time inside Who Knew? Consignment, located next door to the park.

Also, at 11:30, organizers will hold the “Be a Bunny” costume contest, with prizes handed out for best overall costume, most colorful and most original. Miss Dowagiac 2014 Mackenzie Whitmyer and her court will also be at the event, along with a variety of costumed characters.

“I can’t wait to see the kids lined up at high noon for the very first time,” Reigenberg said. “ I understand it’s quite a spectacle.”