Have an "egg"-cellent time
One sure sign of Spring is a community Easter egg hunt. The Vandalia Sports Complex, 1111 Stonequarry Road, will be the site for the third annual Vandalia Easter Eggstravaganza on Saturday, April 19. There may be a shortage of real eggs at the local grocer, but plastic eggs filled with treats will be plentiful at this free event. The Gazette recently spoke with Sara Moyer, Recreation Coordinator of Programs and Special Events.
“The Eggstravaganza was started in 2023, so this will be our third year. Prior to that, there was a community egg hunt, but it only included the hunt. There were no additional activities, like food trucks and vendors. Over the past couple of years, the number of participants has increased. We’ve added more activities so families don’t come out just for the Easter egg hunt and then leave.”
According to Moyer, the activities will be run by the Rec Center staff and community volunteers. They’ll have kid-friendly games and crafts, a baby goat petting zoo, and face painting in addition to vendors offering different craft items. “We’ll have a wide variety of food trucks on hand, selling pizza, tacos, burgers, some dessert offerings, shaved ice, popsicles, and a coffee truck as well,” she said. “The Easter Bunny will be there for photos, and there will be goats and kittens available for cuddle activities.”
A holdover from an earlier Rec Center event is Purrfect Additions, a non-profit kitten adoption agency. “They will bring out some kittens that need good homes and are available for adoption,” Moyer said. “They’ll have staff on hand to help fill out the paperwork so people can take the kittens home that day. This is the same organization that was here during the Holiday Bazaar in December, and it was successful.”
The egg hunt is for kids 12 years old and younger. Moyer and her staff have worked out a plan to ensure that it runs smoothly and fairly. “We have different times for different age groups. We’ll have different areas in our field sectioned off by age group so that the kids will hunt for eggs with kids of a similar age. We’ll also have one big egg hunt. All the kids can participate in both egg hunts if they want, or just one. All of the eggs are stuffed with candy and some of them will have a ticket they can redeem for a special prize.”
Kids will need to bring their own baskets for egg gathering. The egg hunt times are 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The age groups are 2-years-old and younger, 3- and 4-year-olds, 5- and 6-year-olds, 7- and 8-year-olds, and 9- to 12-year-olds.
The Recreation Department continues looking for unique ways to make full use of the Sports Complex. “We try to keep events offered year-round,” Moyer said. “We’re lucky to have a great facility so people in the community can come out and take part in different activities. The Eggstravaganza is a great opportunity to get families together for a fun outdoor event and see everything the Rec Center has to offer. It lets us kick off Spring and celebrate not only Easter, but the start of warmer weather.”
The Vandalia Easter Eggstravaganza will be held on Saturday, April 19 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Vandalia Sports Complex, 1111 Stonequarry Road. For more information, visit Vandaliaohio.org, call 937.415.2340, or visit the city’s Facebook page.