The drab landscape of January, February and March is now but a distant memory in Montgomery County, as flowerbeds, lawns, gardens, trees and trails explode with color. Even the sky looks bluer these days.

Morris Arboretum
On Sunday, the local palette gets kicked up a notch with pink dresses, plaid bow ties, white hats bedecked with lilacs and, of course, jubilees of jellybeans that reflect every hue of the rainbow.

Just as colorful are our special events, activities, shows and entertainment options. If you're in The Pursuit of a weekend that will make you "rabbit" with enthusiasm, we can make sure your good time doesn't peter out. Now, hop to it!

The grand weather at Eastertide can inspire such joy that the only way to adequately express it is to dance. Just ask the students taking part in the Dance Ensemble Spring Concert on Friday, April 18, at Montgomery County Community College. These talented and energetic performers will explore many styles of dance, including modern, contemporary, tap and hip hop. Choreographed by the students, the performance encompasses a range of themes, from the Roaring Twenties to the circus, robots, greed and more.

This third week in April is peak time for the natural beauty of wildflowers. Celebrate fields dotted with daffodils and crawling with crocuses at the "Spring Beauties" presentation at Green Lane Park. This wildflower walk steps off April 19 from the Green Lane Park Office, from which a guide will lead visitors over hill and dale and point out the floral fireworks along the way. The presentation should interest nature lovers, but it is also a golden opportunity for photographers.

"Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on... bunnies?" Well not, exactly. But Easter definitely means strengthening family bonds, celebrating the great outdoors and even singing, elements of the 1965 film classic The Sound of Music. The multiple Oscar winner (including Best Picture) gets the big-screen treatment at The Colonial Theater on April 19. If your Easter outfit is made from the draperies that once hung in your bedroom, this is the place for you.

When the family is dressed to the nines in Easter Sunday finery, where better to go than out to eat? Sunday brunch options for Easter in Montgomery County run the gamut from white linen tablecloths to kid-friendly casual:

  • Elmwood Park Zoo has options both Saturday and Sunday for brunch. Tickets include photos with Mr. Easter Bunny himself, as well as an egg hunt.

Elmwood Park Zoo

  • The Easter brunch spread at Sunnybrook Ballroom enables breakfast in the big-band era, as the setting was a common stop for touring superstars of the past.
  • Complimentary Mimosas provide adult refreshment at the brunch buffet at the Crowne Plaza - Valley Forge.
  • Ruth's Chris Steak House gives you a great reason to "meat" your family and friends this Easter, with a price fixe brunch menu in addition to the full-menu options.
  • Not all Easter candy belongs in a nest of plastic grass; The Shake Shack mixes it onto a "Shackbury Easter Egg Concrete," blending frozen vanilla yogurt with caramel sauce and milk chocolate chunks.
  • The price fixe brunch menu of Sullivan's Steakhouse offers traditional broiled lamb chops that can be made extra tempting with the addition of a lump crabmeat overlay.
  • The Capital Grille is plating a three-course brunch that can start with oysters on the half shell and end with chocolate espresso cake.
  • Chocolate of the melted variety is an integral part of the Easter Sunday fare at The Melting Pot and its three-course lunch experience.
  • Mr. & Mrs. Easter Bunny are the guests of honor at the buffet brunch laid out at the Valley Forge Casino Resort. While you choose from the carving station and the breakfast/lunch displays, your kids can get involved in the jelly bean contest.

Asher's ChocolatesEveryone knows the Easter Bunny brings candy, but less known is who his suppliers are. Surely they must include the generational excellence that comes from Asher's Chocolates. It's not too late to stop by and peep at the delicious variety of chocolate-covered eggs in all sizes and varieties: coconut cream, buttercream, fruit and nut, peanut butter, marshmallow and nut fudge. Then there are the zillions of jelly beans and other gifts for your brood. The Souderton store is open Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The factory, where you can watch the process of crafting all this deliciousness, can be visited weekdays, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Exquisite chocolate creations for Easter and year-round are also available at Bridge Street Chocolates.

For a real treat this Easter weekend, ride out your sugar rush in one of our area hotels, using the recommendations on our website. You're sure to find a suite that is sweet.