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Massive egg hunt, highlight of ‘Spring Fest,’ moves to bigger playground

March 27, 2015 by Donna Beth Weilenman Leave a Comment

FAMILY SPRING FEST organizers expect thousands to attend Saturday’s event. Courtesy photo

FAMILY SPRING FEST organizers expect thousands to attend Saturday’s event. Courtesy photo

Family Spring Fest, during which children will scramble to find 25,000 Easter eggs, has grown so large that the eggs will be scattered across Benicia High School’s football field instead of City Park.

The surrounding track area will be full of other activities for children to do as well, said the Rev. Ken Jensen, pastor of Northgate Christian Fellowship, which organizes and sponsors the Saturday event.

This is Family Spring Fest’s fourth year, and Jensen said he expects a greater turnout than ever before.

Up until this year, the event has taken place at City Park, at the intersection of Military West and First Street, but “last year, we had around 4,000 people,” Jensen said. “It was pretty crazy!”

In addition to those anxious to find eggs, church members also saw the long lines of children who wanted to make crafts or get their faces painted. Drawing on the church’s experience moving its Halloween “Trunk or Treat” candy giveaway from Solano Square to Benicia High last year, Jensen said it wasn’t a stretch to imagine moving the egg hunt to the football field, as well.

“We have had a good working relationship with the school and the school district,” he said.

The Benicia High football field was chosen because it provides space not only for the 25,000 colorful eggs that will be filled with candy and prizes, but also has room for inflatable games, bounce houses, face painters and multiple stations where children can make such craft items as paper butterflies and beaded bracelets, said Carol Abreu, Northgate’s office administrator.

Those other entertainments will be on the field’s track, leaving the grassy area open for the egg hunt. Children are being asked to bring their own baskets or bags for collecting, and any egg and contents they find, they get to take home.

In addition to those activities, children can get their photographs taken with the Easter Bunny, while music plays in the background.

Another bonus to the high school as an event location is plentiful parking, as well as a fenced environment that will add another layer of safety for active youngsters.

“I like City Park. It gets people downtown,” Abreu said. But she conceded that parking can be an issue when 4,000 — or more — attend an event there.

The church is providing the entertainment and eggs. Jensen said the plastic eggs are bought pre-packed with candy and small toys.

Like Trunk or Treat, he said, it’s a free, public event the church puts together “to show love to the community.”

The church also is providing its staff as helpers and guides during the festival, he said.

As Abreu said, “It’s all hands on deck!”

Family Spring Fest starts at 11 a.m. Saturday and concludes at 1 p.m. The Egg Hunt, for toddlers up to children in fifth grade, starts at noon.

The event’s website is springfestEVENT.com.

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