BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Bakersfield’s Audible Easter Egg Hunt returned to give children with disabilities the chance to join in on the holiday fun.
This particular event is not the traditional celebration. It’s aimed at children with disabilities who that too often go overlooked in the community. A key component of the event is a hunt that uses ringing eggs.
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The ringing can be heard from several feet away, making it easier for kids to find those eggs. As they go on their hunt, they’re accompanied by an officer.
The Bakersfield Police Department and Kern County Superintendent of Schools hosted the 10th annual Audible Easter Egg Hunt on March 19, 2026.
Nearly 50 children — who usually wouldn’t get to participate in traditional Easter activities — got the chance to just be a regular kid with food, prizes, a photo booth, and the Audible Easter Egg Hunt.
Ashley Tatum, a parent who attended the hunt, said she came with her 8-year-old son Landon, who was born completely blind. He has a condition called optic nerve hypoplasia.
“It’s just been a really good time for us to come out and see other local resources and meet up with other local families that are in similar conditions to ours,” Tatum said.
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The audible hunt was started by the bomb squad at the Bakersfield Police Department.
“When we started it, I actually made contact with Kern County Superintendent of Schools,” said BPD Bomb Squad Sgt. Juan Orozco. “(I) met with them and found out that there was a need here in the community — so we started the event the following year in 2016.”
BPD even built the eggs.
“These are eggs, they twist open,” said BPD Bomb Squad Sgt. Peter Bagley, as he demonstrated how the eggs function.
“They’re 3D printed eggs, and on the inside, attached is a push button, which turns the egg on and off. That is wired to a 9-volt battery, which is then wired to a speaker, and that’s the system that creates the sound for the children so they can find the egg.”
Over the years, the event has expanded.
“When we first started it was just our visually impaired,” said Alison Hall, principal at Kern County Superintendent of Schools. “And now, we are including the orthopedically impaired and we’re just trying to make it bigger and better every year.”
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