New Easter Candies Southern Tier Families Are Buying

There’s just something about this time of year. Maybe it’s dyeing eggs at the kitchen table, or trying to figure out whether the family egg hunt is going to happen in sunshine or a snowstorm. It’s the same every year, and somehow, it never gets old.

And it turns out a lot of people feel the same way. According to 2026 consumer tracking insights from The Hershey Company, about 30% of people say their excitement for Easter comes straight from nostalgia. The memories, basically.

If you’ve got kids, you probably feel it even more. Because now you’re not just celebrating Easter. You’re trying to give them the same kind of memories you still think about.

Even With Everything Going On, Families Are Still All In

Spring in the Southern Spring in the Southern Tier is no joke. Between school schedules, sports starting back up, and the yard that spent all winter falling apart, there’s a lot going on. That being said, most families aren’t skipping Easter. That same data shows about 71% of people still plan to celebrate. Even when life is hectic, Easter is one of those holidays that just sticks. It’s simple, it’s familiar, and the kids are absolutely counting on it.

Candy Is Still Running the Whole Show

Let’s just say it out loud: Easter is basically powered by candy.

About 85% of people say they’re buying Easter candy this year, according to The Hershey Company, and it’s still the number one thing people shop for this time of year. So if the basket feels a little heavy, you’re in good company.

And yes, some of it is for the kids. Some of it mysteriously disappears before Easter morning ever gets here. No judgment whatsoever.

These New Easter Candies Are Already Showing Up Locally

If you’ve been in the store lately, you’ve probably already spotted a few new things mixed in with the classics.

Here’s what people around here are already grabbing this year:

Jolly Rancher gummies in fun Easter shapes
Reese’s mini eggs in those bigger bags that you tell yourself you’ll share
Cadbury mini creme and caramel eggs in resealable pouches
Hershey’s Kisses with a Butterbeer flavor (yes, really)

So if your basket ends up a little more packed than you planned, you’re definitely not the only one.

The Traditions Aren’t Perfect and That’s Exactly Why They Work

Here’s the thing about Easter. It’s not picture-perfect, and it’s not supposed to be. It’s egg hunts in slightly muddy yards because this is the Southern Tier, and the ground doesn’t fully cooperate until May. It’s baskets you’re putting together at ten o’clock at night because you almost forgot. It’s dinners that run long because nobody’s in a hurry to leave.

And somehow that’s always the part everybody talks about at dinner.

What Your Kids Will Actually Remember

It’s not going to be whether the basket looked perfect or whether you got the right color grass. It’s going to be the excitement. The candy before breakfast that you pretended not to see. The stuff you do every year without even really deciding to.

And yes, they absolutely noticed the chocolate you hid for yourself.