Easter Egg Roll Rocks On Despite Rain

Easter Egg Roll Rocks On Despite Rain

By Mike Lauterborn

(for Fairfield Citizen News)

4/23/11

Fairfield, CT – Though it was raining buckets outside, inside it was hopping, literally, as kids and parents alike took part in Easter-themed activities.

The happy haven was Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Ave., and the attraction Saturday morning April 23 was the sixth annual Easter Egg Roll. Event highlights included Belle the bunny, sticker and coloring crafts, hard-boiled egg dying and decoration, an appearance by the Easter Bunny and the egg roll competition itself. More than two dozen families attended.

“I started the event initially,” said Susan Ei, Children’s Librarian, “deciding to do an egg roll instead of an egg hunt as so many others hold around town. And I didn’t want it to be candy-oriented. The event is based on the White House’s classic Easter Egg Roll. As a child, I went to D.C. with a dream of being part of it, but a snowstorm happened and the event got cancelled. I never got over it, so that’s why I started this, to assuage my pain.”

The Roll was to have taken place on the Library’s Great Lawn, with the Southport Fire Dept. providing a fire engine as an attraction, but a steady downpour and chilly temperatures drove the event indoors. Several long tables draped with plastic had been set up for the various crafts and a large cage with Belle the bunny inside placed at the center of the room.

“We braved the rain to dye eggs and do the egg roll,” said Jennifer Fleitas, visiting for the Easter weekend from Washington, D.C. “We’ll be at the White House on Monday for the ‘other’ egg roll. I’m hoping we’ll meet the president. This is the first Easter in which my 2-year-old Maxwell is participating.”

Mark Pires, attending with his family, said, “We thought we’d meet friends down here today, color some eggs and have some Easter fun. It’s a great way to introduce our kids to the holiday. It would’ve have been great if it could have been outside.”

A big fan of Fairfield, Pires added, “It has a lot to offer kids. My wife grew up here. It was a no-brainer to raise our kids here.”

Lucy Panagos, 9, from Southport, was busy with a sticker craft. “I love bunnies and got to meet Belle,” she said. “She’s really fluffy. I’m having fun doing crafts and dying eggs. It’s too bad it’s raining though.”

Many parents, like Nancy Haberly of Fairfield, had brought their own wooden spoons for the egg roll. “I’m armed and ready, and brought eggs to dye, too. We come every year and look forward to seeing Belle and having fun with the kids. It’s a really nice family activity.”

The egg roll was the cap of the event, with competitions by age, 2-12. Prizes included mini play cameras, Silly Bands and fuzzy toy chicks. Eggs rolled left and right, chased by wooden spoons, creating smiles and driving the blahs away from an otherwise soggy day.