A Westerville Favorite Returns - The Spring Eggstravaganza

One of Westerville’s favorite annual spring events returns in a new location in March. The annual Eggstravaganza, which started more than 30 years ago, began as a simple community egg hunt with the Mayor of Westerville counting down for the quickest event in Westerville Parks and Recreation history.

“This was truly the longest preparation for the quickest event,” said Laura Horton, Recreation Facilities Manager for Westerville Parks and Recreation. “It took weeks for staff and volunteers to fill the plastic eggs each year and less than three minutes for them to be scooped up.”

The Westerville Lions Club volunteered each year to drop the plastic candy-filled eggs on the ball fields at Highlands Park. Prize eggs and bunny visits rounded out the event for the 500- 700 children that took part.

Since then, before the pandemic, the event had grown with the Westerville community to require dedicated time slots and fields for each age range. Bounce houses, inflatable obstacle courses, petting zoos and carnival games were added as well as a move to the Westerville Sports Complex to allow for the more than 1,500 children to find their prized eggs. More than 8,000 eggs were split between the fields.

Last spring, mid-pandemic, it was decided to recreate the event to a Bunny Hop and Drop where registered families could either pick up a basket of goodies at the Community Center or schedule to have the Bunny drop by their house for photos and a basket drop-off. It was a big hit and well-needed.

This year, the egg hunt will evolve yet again in an effort to extend the two minutes it would take to hunt. The event moves to Hoff Woods Park, 535 McCorkle Blvd., while the new Veterans Memorial is being built at the Sports Complex.

“The Eggstravaganza will include a new photo area for the bunny, egg launches, egg drop competitions and family sack race relays,” said Derrick McPeak, Westerville Parks and Recreation Program Supervisor. “The event will also feature breakfast-themed food trucks, inflatables and other activities.”

For more information on Eggstravaganza, see page 23 or visit www.westerville.org/eggstravaganza.