Stardew Valley Egg Festival Guide: Egg Hunt, Locations, Rewards & Tips

The Egg Festival is one of the first major events you will experience in Stardew Valley. It takes place every Spring and gives you a chance to spend time with the villagers, buy special items, collect Strawberry Seeds, and compete in the famous Egg Hunt.

For new players, the Egg Hunt can be surprisingly difficult because you only have a short amount of time to find enough eggs. Knowing where to look before the event starts can make a big difference.

In this Stardew Valley Egg Festival Guide, you will learn when the festival takes place, how the Egg Hunt works, how to win, what rewards you receive, what you can buy, and how to make the most of the event.

Egg Festival Schedule

Because the festival ends after the Egg Hunt, it is worth talking to villagers and visiting Pierre’s festival shop before starting the hunt.

What Happens at the Stardew Valley Egg Festival?

The Egg Festival has two main parts.

First, you can walk around Pelican Town Square, talk to villagers, and visit Pierre’s festival shop. This is your opportunity to buy special festival items.

The main event is the Egg Hunt, where you compete against several villagers to find colored eggs hidden around the town.

To begin the Egg Hunt, talk to Mayor Lewis when you’re ready. Once the hunt starts, you have only 50 seconds to collect as many eggs as possible.

How to Win the Egg Hunt

In a single-player game, you normally need to collect 9 eggs to beat Abigail.

You have only 50 seconds, so searching randomly is usually not the best strategy. Instead, learn the locations beforehand and follow an efficient route.

The required number changes in multiplayer:

These requirements are based on the number of players participating in the game.

Best Egg Hunt Strategy

The most important thing is to avoid spending too much time walking between different areas.

Before starting the hunt:

The festival map and egg placements are different in odd-numbered and even-numbered years, so an Egg Hunt route that works perfectly in Year 1 may not be identical in Year 2. This was changed in Stardew Valley 1.6.

Egg Festival Egg Locations

Egg locations change depending on whether you are playing an odd or even year.

This is one of the most important things to remember if you are following an older Egg Festival guide. Some older guides may show a route that does not match your current festival layout.

Odd-Year Egg Hunt

In odd-numbered years, the festival uses one version of the Pelican Town layout and egg placement.

If you are playing Year 1, this is the layout you will encounter.

For the fastest result, focus on eggs that can be collected while moving through a continuous route instead of crossing the same area multiple times.

Even-Year Egg Hunt

The Egg Festival uses a different layout and egg placement during even-numbered years.

That means the best route for Year 1 should not simply be copied into Year 2.

This odd/even variation was introduced with Stardew Valley 1.6, making it especially important for players using current versions of the game.

What Do You Get for Winning the Egg Hunt?

Winning the Egg Hunt for the first time rewards you with the Straw Hat.

After you have already won the Egg Hunt in a previous year, winning again gives you a Prize Ticket instead.

The Straw Hat can also be obtained through other methods later in the game, but winning the Egg Hunt is the original festival reward.

Egg Hunt Rewards

If you are trying to collect every important item in Stardew Valley, make sure you don’t overlook festival rewards while working through your overall collection.

You can also use our Stardew Valley Collections Guide to keep track of broader collection and completion goals.

What Can You Buy at the Egg Festival?

Pierre runs a special shop during the Egg Festival.

The shop includes Strawberry Seeds along with several decorative and furniture items. Current festival shop items include:

• Strawberry Seeds — 100g
• Lawn Flamingo — 400g
• Plush Bunny — 2,000g
• Seasonal Plant — 350g
• Colorful Set — 500g
• Pastel Banner — 1,000g
• Decorative Pitchfork — 1,000g

The available festival items can be purchased before starting the Egg Hunt because the shop is no longer available after the hunt begins.

Are Strawberry Seeds Worth Buying?

Yes, especially during your first Spring.

Strawberry Seeds cost 100g each at the Egg Festival. They grow in Spring, take 8 days to mature, and continue producing strawberries afterward. A mature plant can produce another strawberry every 4 days, with a chance of producing extra fruit.

The main drawback is timing.

Because the Egg Festival happens on Spring 13, you have already lost almost half of Spring when you purchase the seeds. However, planting them immediately after returning home gives them more time to produce crops.

A Smart Strawberry Strategy

If you know you want to buy Strawberry Seeds, prepare your farm before the festival.

You can:

Preparing in advance saves valuable time because the festival itself occupies most of the day.

Strawberries can potentially provide multiple harvests when planted immediately after the festival, depending on your growing conditions and farming setup.

How Much Money Should You Bring?

The amount depends on what you want to purchase.

If your main goal is Strawberry Seeds, calculate your budget before entering the festival.

For example:

10 Strawberry Seeds × 100g = 1,000g

20 Strawberry Seeds × 100g = 2,000g

You can also leave some money available for decorations if you are interested in the festival’s cosmetic items.

For new players, Strawberry Seeds are generally a more practical purchase than spending your early-game gold on decorations.

Should You Talk to Villagers Before the Egg Hunt?

Yes.

The festival is a good opportunity to interact with several villagers in one place.

However, remember that once you start the Egg Hunt, the festival effectively moves into its final activity. You won’t be able to continue shopping or socializing afterward.

So a good order is:

Talk to villagers → Visit Pierre’s shop → Buy what you need → Start the Egg Hunt

This prevents you from accidentally starting the hunt before finishing everything you wanted to do.

Egg Festival Tips for Beginners

1. Save Money Before Spring 13

If you want Strawberry Seeds, start saving gold several days before the festival.

2. Prepare Your Farm

Have farmland ready before the festival so you can plant your seeds immediately when you return home.

3. Don’t Start the Egg Hunt Too Early

Talk to the villagers and visit the shop before speaking to Lewis to start the hunt.

4. Learn the Current Year’s Layout

The egg locations differ between odd and even years in version 1.6 and later.

5. Don’t Panic During the Hunt

You only have 50 seconds, so hesitation wastes valuable time.

6. Prioritize a Route

You don’t need to collect every egg. Your goal is to collect enough to win.

7. Keep Progression in Mind

Festival activities are only one part of your overall farm progression. Completing quests, improving your tools, and expanding your farm will become increasingly important as the game progresses.

If you are working through the game’s different objectives, our Stardew Valley Quests Guide can help you keep track of the major quest types and rewards.

Common Egg Festival Mistakes

Starting the Egg Hunt Before Shopping

Once the Egg Hunt starts, you cannot return to the shop during the festival.

Forgetting the 50-Second Timer

The Egg Hunt is extremely short. Spending several seconds deciding where to go can cost you the victory.

Following an Outdated Egg Route

Older guides may show the same map for every year. The 1.6 update changed the festival layout and egg placement for even-numbered years.

Spending All Your Gold on Decorations

Decorations are fun, but new players may get more practical value from Strawberry Seeds.

Ignoring the Festival Entirely

Even if you are not interested in the Egg Hunt, the festival provides access to special items and is part of the seasonal experience of Stardew Valley.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

The Stardew Valley Egg Festival may look like a simple seasonal event, but it offers several useful opportunities for new farmers. The Egg Hunt provides a unique challenge, the festival shop sells valuable items, and Strawberry Seeds can become an important early-game crop.

The best approach is to prepare before Spring 13, bring enough gold for the items you want, shop and socialize before starting the Egg Hunt, and learn the egg locations for your current year’s layout.

Most importantly, don’t rely blindly on an old Egg Hunt route. Stardew Valley 1.6 introduced different festival layouts for odd and even years, so current information matters when you are trying to win consistently.