As Pleasanton celebrates Easter with egg hunts around the city, stores downtown bring back spring specials for another season of cheer.

Primrose Bakery

Freshly-baked snacks and goodies are a must-have for Primrose Bakery at the beginning of spring.

“We always put up traditional treats, like the hot-cross buns— that’s a pretty old Easter tradition. We also put up other spring baked goods; the fruit tarts and apple turnovers are some popular seasonals,” said Jessica Eiland, owner of Primrose Bakery.

When it comes to keeping up with the celebrations, Primrose Bakery does not disappoint.

“We begin making [our Easter specials] at the start of April… We just kind of add something new here every once in a while, but we also keep our older Easter treats,” said Eiland. “There’s chocolate ganache and marshmallow bunnies, Easter cookies, cupcakes with Easter toppings, golden chocolate Easter eggs, and a selection of spring petit fours.”

Never losing their jovial appearance, the bakery’s doors will be open from 8:00 AM – 9:30 PM on Sundays through Thursdays, and 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.

Gourmet Works Chocolate

Of course, Easter is not the same without the classic chocolate eggs, a long-time tradition since the early 19th century. Luckily, confections store Gourmet Works  has prepared chocolate eggs and all sorts of spring sweets.

“We actually begin preparing Easter treats shortly after Valentines. It’s earlier than most other stores, but we like to keep things fresh and festive,” said Kayla Mueller.

Chocolate eggs, bunny-shaped selections, and spring assortments now take up a good portion of the shop. The eye-catching pops of color and shelves of Easter sweets are quite an attraction.

“Our Easter specials are pretty popular and we have a really wide selection. Occasionally, we have new additions, but we don’t make many changes because we have a following and our regulars want to get their usuals every year. This year though, we made rice krispie bunnies, and also began customizing [decorations for] chocolate eggs,” said Mueller.

Murphy’s Paw

Pleasanton’s downtown appeal is not limited to just food. Towne Center Books has filled their display windows with Easter craft books, Prim Boutique set out their flowery pastels, and Murphy’s Paw is as up-to-date with seasonal decorations.

“We always keep our store decorated in some way, so we’d set up the Easter decorations towards the end of March. We also try to order more products when we put up new decorations— it’s kind of like another fresh start,” said Emma, part-timer at Murphy’s Paw.

Take a stroll downtown and discover these Easter specials and more this holiday season.