Children make a beeline for chocolate Easter Eggs at last year’s Easter Eggstravaganza. The egg hunt is a highlight of the annual festival. (Richard McGuire file photo)

Thousands of chocolate Easter eggs are waiting in Mayor Sue McKortoff’s basement for the moment, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 31, when hundreds of youngsters will race to scoop them up.

The Easter Egg Hunt in the Osoyoos Elementary School lower schoolyard is always one of the highlights of Easter Eggstravaganza, now in its 24th year.

Adults with sweet teeth may be disappointed, but the hunt for those chocolate eggs scattered across the schoolyard is only for children aged 11 and under.

Typically swarms of children, sectioned off by age, seemingly scoop up the eggs in milliseconds and the whole event can be over in a little more than a minute.

But Easter Eggstravaganza – one of three annual festivals run by the Osoyoos Festival Society – is a lot more than just the egg hunt.

There are plenty of children’s activities from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Town Square, the park next to Town Hall. This festival is aimed at children, but there are family-friendly activities that will also keep adults amused.

Events kick off at 8 a.m. with the Rotary Pancake Breakfast in Town Square, which runs until 11 a.m. Rotarians and spouses cook up a storm with pancakes, bacon, coffee and juice.

“The pancake breakfast is a huge hit,” said Shirley Baker, an organizer of this year’s Eggstravaganza. “The Rotary is really gung ho on doing that. They’ve got a good process now and everything seems to run really smoothly.”

Children’s activities starting at 9 a.m. include a clown toss, bounce castle, fish pond, egg guessing, balloon modeling, face painting and spin the wheel.

Baker said that for a while it looked like there might not be a bounce castle due to new regulations, but in the end, she managed to find a company that could bring one.

“I’m so excited that things are coming together,” she said on Friday after overcoming that hiccup.

Unfortunately, this year there won’t be a petting zoo, she said.

New this year is the Magic Comedy Show, by Clinton W. Gray of Kamloops. Baker said this show would not have been able to make a special trip to Osoyoos, but because Gray is performing in Kelowna that afternoon, he was able to kill two birds with one stone.

The show runs from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

“I’m hoping that the Magic Comedy Show is going to be a big hit,” said Baker.

Also entertaining will be singer and musician Mat Duffus, who provides an interactive show, bringing children and adults up to perform with him and getting people dancing. He’s been an Eggstravaganza highlight in recent years.

The Kiwanis Bike and Trike Judging Contest gets underway at 11 a.m.

At the same time, Osoyoos volunteer firefighters serve up hot dogs by donation to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society in front of the old fire hall. That runs until 1 p.m.

A pair of Easter Bunnies and a large chicken also make the rounds, hugging and high-fiving children and posing for photos. The bunnies are Ken Baker of the Osoyoos Times and Paul Dorion. The chicken is Annette Star.

Easter Eggstravaganza, always on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter, falls more than two weeks earlier this year than last. In 2017, it fell on April 15.

“We’re really hoping for a nice day,” said Baker.

The Osoyoos Festival Society, she said, recently held its annual general meeting, but it’s still in need of more members, Baker said.

Although the volunteers are now in place for Easter Eggstravaganza, they will be needed for the other two festivals the society runs – Cherry Fiesta on July 1 and Christmas Lite-Up in early December.

“We’re looking for new ideas, so fresh blood would be great,” she said.

Anyone interested in becoming involved with the Osoyoos Festival Society can phone Shirley Baker at 250-495-6880.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times