Whether there’s snow, sleet, rain or sunshine, you can count on hundreds of people lining up early Palm Sunday outside of a rural Fayette County auto salvage yard. They aren’t there for replacement hoods or cheap rims.
Instead, they line up for a chance to rummage through 35 acres of junk cars, buses, motorcycles and pickup trucks in hope of locating a hidden Easter egg treasure or two.
The annual Marsh Auto Salvage Easter Egg Hunt in Upper Tyrone Township is definitely not your grandma’s traditional egg hunt. There are no new Easter dresses, boys’ suits or shiny shoes, and Easter bonnets are few and far between — though earmuffs might appear if it’s really cold.
On March 25, 2018, temperatures barely broke the 20s and there were flurries, but the crowd still appeared.
”It’s definitely crazy. Last year, it was snowing and really, really cold, and we still had about 500 people here,” office manager Timberly Kalemba said. “I was shivering, and I was all bundled up as I poured coffee. I’ll never forget there was one woman wearing open-toed sandals … even though there was snow on the ground.”
Participants pay $2 to enter the lot. They also must sign a personal injury release in case they bump, bruise or scrape themselves scouring inside a junked car’s tailpipe, a bus engine compartment or truck intake filer for a colorful plastic egg that may contain a voucher for cash prizes between $5 to $100.
“We’ve had a few people find a couple of $100 eggs,” Kalemba said.
As always, there will be $2,500 available in prizes during the event.
“There will be people lined up outside the gate before sign-in starts at 8 a.m. There always is,” employee Kevin Mills said.
It was all the idea of Michael Marsh, who opened the junk yard in 2012.
“We’re in a rural location, and I was looking for a way to promote the business. And everyone loves money,” he said.
People even drive from out of state to participate.
“We’ve had some come in from Ohio and some from West Virginia,” Kalemba said.
Although sign-in begins at 8 a.m., gates to the junk yards starting the hunt don’t open until 9 a.m.
While there are lots of egg hunters, Mills, who often goes into the yard, said many are not found. He said sometimes people will be salvaging for a particular vehicle part and turn up an egg with a voucher inside.
The cash, however, is only redeemable until the yard closes at 2:30 p.m. the day of the hunt.
Mills and Kalemba said employees used to hide the eggs the night before the event, but those days are gone.
“We found there were people sneaking in through the woods way in the back to find the eggs, so they are now put out in the mornings,” Kalemba said.
Mills added that Marsh employees ride around the field in motorized carts to police the activities.
As always, Mills anticipates vehicles lined along both sides of Banning Road again this Sunday.
“People really enjoy it,” he said.
