Time to Get Cracking

Eating eggs was once forbidden during the fasting season that leads to Easter. But that didn’t mean people couldn’t decorate them to symbolize the celebration that would occur on the holiday.

“Likewise, eggs, colored like the rays of the returning sun or the northern lights, symbolize the return of spring,” says John T. Ford of the Catholic University of America.

The rules of fasting have long since been relaxed in many denominations, but the tradition of decorating eggs and hiding them has continued to be at the forefront of a holiday known for the Easter Bunny as well as for its religious origins.

Several groups throughout Ventura County will host egg hunts before and during the Easter holiday. All are open to the public.

One of the oldest celebrations in the county is the 20-year-old Easter egg hunt hosted by the Conejo Recreation & Park District. For the past 12 years, Saturday’s free event has been called the Spring Eggstravaganza.

“It used to be an egg hunt that lasted for 20 minutes, but now it’s an eggstravaganza,” said Scott Engel, a district recreation supervisor. “We like to celebrate springtime, and this is our big kickoff for all our major outdoor activities.”

Like the other hunts in the county, the 1999 Spring Eggstravaganza is a family event. This year’s hunt is expected to attract as many as 10,000 people, mostly locals, said recreation coordinator Mike McAdam.

“This is really our biggest districtwide event,” McAdam said.

The Eggstravaganza will run from noon to 3 p.m. at the Conejo Creek soccer fields on Janss Road just off California 23.

Egg hunts will be organized by age groups and will run every five minutes between noon and 2 p.m. The eggs will be plastic, and all children will receive free prizes.

There will also be carnival rides, pony rides, hayrides, game booths, live entertainment and arts and crafts.

For more information, call the district office at 494-2163.

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The city of Ventura will host “Cottontail Canyon Day: A Fantasy Land for Kids” from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Arroyo Verde Park at Foothill and Day roads.

The day will include the Rick Santoro Marionette Show, the Ronald McDonald Revue, karate demonstrations and the Magic & Mayhem Show.

There will also be a petting zoo, jugglers, kids’ games and areas where children can do arts and crafts and get their faces painted. Food and drink booths will be available.

The Easter Bunny will make an appearance.

Registration for the egg hunt is required and can be made by calling the city’s Community Services Department at 658-4726. Registration can also be done at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the park.

The hunt is free, but for $12, participants will get an event T-shirt and a goody bag.

People should park in Ventura College’s lot on Loma Vista Road and use a free shuttle to the park. Parking will not be allowed at Arroyo Verde Park.

For more information about the event, call the department at 658-4726.

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The Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District has resurrected its Eggstravaganza after halting the annual celebration in 1992.

This year’s festivities will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 3 at Valle Lindo Park at Valle Lindo and Aileen streets in Camarillo.

“It’s a really nice community event for people in Camarillo,” said Vicky Blethen, the district’s special events coordinator. “There’s a magician and music and other festivities.”

Blethen and her staff plan to hide about 5,000 plastic candy-filled eggs in the park, and the free hunts will be broken into age groups.

Children can keep candy they find in the eggs as well as redeem the eggs for a bag of candy. There will also be prizes for the winners of an egg decorating contest. Egg entries should be decorated at home and taken to the park to be judged.

More than 500 people are expected at this event--which will be another stop for the Easter Bunny, Blethen said.

After the hunts at 2 p.m. April 3, children ages 3 to 12 can participate in Wacky Water Easter Games at Pleasant Valley Pool at 1030 Temple Ave. in Camarillo, a district-owned indoor swim spot that is open year-round.

The fee is $1.50 for kids and free for adults. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult. Swimmers should take a bathing suit, towel and goggles.

For more information about either event, call the district office at 482-1996.

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For the seventh consecutive year, an Easter weekend celebration will be held from noon to 4 p.m. April 3 and 4 at Ventura Harbor Village.

Harbor spokeswoman Cherryl Connally and her staff will hand out 7,000 plastic eggs Sunday. Egg hunters under age 8 can visit stores in the harbor to receive the free eggs with candy and toys inside. There is no starting time.

The shop hopping isn’t a marketing ploy but a fairer way for each child to get the same number of eggs, Connally said.

“On average, we have at least 400 kids throughout the day, so this way they don’t have to be in a rush and get run over by each other,” she said.

“It’s exciting to see all the kids have a good time.”

The two-day event will include several live musical acts, a parrot show with cockatoos and an African Touraco presented by Wendy Horton of Santa Clarita, and a magic show by Dan Ray, whose act includes a live rabbit and a dove.

There will also be pony rides, face painting, a petting zoo and a clown.

The Easter Bunny and an Easter chick will be roaming the grounds.

For more information, call 644-0169.

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An egg hunt and arts and crafts show are planned April 3 at Mae Boyar Park at 130 Kanan Road in Oak Park.

According to Dennis Anderson, a recreation supervisor for the Rancho Simi Recreation and Parks District, the event is in its 15th year.

Some 500 to 600 youngsters are expected to show up for an egg hunt that starts at 10 a.m. sharp. The hunt will be divided by age groups.

A clown, moon bounce, magic show, balloon artist and food booths will also be on hand. For more information, call the district at 584-4400.

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An egg hunt, pony rides and a visit from the Easter Bunny are planned at 10 a.m. April 3 at Arroyo Vista Community Park at 4550 Tierra Rejada Road in Moorpark. Every child gets a prize, and the cost for the hunt is $1.

For more information, call Arroyo Vista Community Park at 531-9100.