Easter weekend is one of the busiest times of year for local parks and recreation departments — and it turns out, for local government communicators too.
This past Easter (April 5, 2026), agencies across the GOGov network sent 146 Easter-related notifications to reach residents about egg hunts, event reminders, service schedules, and community celebrations — all from a single dashboard, across every channel their residents use.
No scrambling. No dropped eggs. Just great communication.
Here's how they did it.
The Hop by the Numbers
During the Easter 2026 reporting window (January–April 5), GOGov-powered agencies sent:
- 146 total Easter-related notifications
- 16 notifications on March 27 — the single busiest day, a full 9 days before Easter Sunday
- 14 notifications on Easter Sunday itself (April 5)
- 83% of all Easter notifications sent in the final 2 weeks (March 22–April 5)
And the most popular topic? It wasn't close: "Easter egg hunt" appeared in 73 of 146 notification headlines — exactly half of everything sent. Communities love their egg hunts, and GOGov helped them make sure no one missed them.
The Story in Three Hops
Hop 1: The Early Birds (January–March 21)
Some agencies don't wait for the week before Easter to start promoting their biggest spring events. A full 23 notifications — 15.8% of all Easter activity — went out more than 30 days before April 5.
City of Frankfort got an early jump, sending "Frankfort Parks & Recreation Announces Annual Easter Egg Hunt" all the way back on February 19, then following up with "Hop to the TPA Park on Mar. 28 for the annual Easter Egg Hunt!" on February 27 — a reminder perfectly timed to catch residents planning their weekends. City of Garfield sent its "Easter Egg Hunt and Breakfast" announcement on February 28, distributing it simultaneously via email, mobile, Facebook, and Twitter. City of Richmond Heights got creative with its subject line as early as March 1: "Easter Egg Hunt and Pancake Breakfast Registration is now OPEN!"
The lesson? The best communicators treat Easter like a campaign, not a one-and-done post.
Hop 2: The Countdown (March 22–April 4)
The final two weeks before Easter were where the action was. 83% of all Easter notifications dropped during this window — including the single busiest day of the entire season: March 27, with 16 notifications sent by agencies across the network.
This is when communities were promoting dates, times, locations, and last-minute reminders. Village of Vinton kept it festive: "🐰 4th Annual Easter Eggstravaganza 🐣🌷". Borough of Watchung — the highest-volume Easter communicator in the GOGov network with 8 notifications — used the final two weeks to build momentum with a steady drumbeat of reminders. Town of Wawayanda, Village of Garden City, and Village of Whitehouse each sent a consistent 3-notification sequence to make sure their events stayed top of mind.
The pattern across top agencies was clear: one announcement, one reminder, one day-before nudge. Simple. Effective. No residents left wondering what time the egg hunt starts.
Hop 3: Easter Sunday (April 5)
Easter Sunday itself saw 14 notifications go out — agencies sending final-day reminders, event kick-offs, and community well-wishes. Across the board, agencies used "Happy Easter" messaging (the third most common content phrase in the network that weekend) to add a warm, community-centered touch to their outreach.
This is local government communication at its best: not just utilitarian, but genuinely human.
What Made This Work: Multi-Channel, One Solution Powered by GOGov
The agencies that executed best this Easter didn't just send one message on one channel. They used the full suite.
Mobile push and email were the backbone — with 143 notifications via push and 130 via email across the network. But 15 agencies went further, cross-posting directly to Facebook to reach residents who don't use the city app. Six agencies pushed to Twitter/X, and five used voice calls for good measure.
City of Garfield, City of Page, and City of Eagle Lake each hit four or more channels simultaneously — making sure that whether a resident prefers push notifications, their inbox, or their Facebook feed, they got the message.
Every channel. One dashboard.
That's GOGov Citizen Notifications — built specifically so local governments can reach every resident, however they prefer to get information, without jumping between platforms.
Is Your Community Ready for the Next Big Event?
The agencies that crushed their Easter communication weren't scrambling the week before. They had GOGov Citizen Notifications already in place — and had been using it for routine updates long before egg hunt season arrived. When it was time to promote, the tools were ready and the resident lists were built.
Whether it's egg hunts in April, fireworks in July, or fall festivals in October, GOGov gives your agency push, SMS, email, voice, and social — all in one platform, at a price built for local government budgets.
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