Cross Roads hosts first Easter Eggstravaganza
By Abigail Allen
Managing Editor
The Easter Bunny made its appearance at the first Cross Roads Eggstravaganza on Saturday.
Residents of Cross Roads and surrounding communities made their way to the town park at the corner of FM 424 and Fishtrap Road to enjoy an egg hunt, a cakewalk, a Pilates class and other Easter activities.
“This is a good group,” Parks and Recreation Board Chairwoman Kathryn Langley said. “And this is just, like, the perfect number.”
The town got a much bigger response for the egg hunt than anticipated.
“We originally planned for like 50 to 55, and we had 78 people, and I closed the registration,” Langley said. “And we got more.”
The kids and their families milled about the pavilion.
Ella Shilling sat as still as she could as Nicole Canales painted her face.
Her parents, Tammy and Erik Shilling, looked on.
“We’re always super excited about coming out to the Cross Roads stuff,” Tammy said. “They’re bigger and better every year, and despite the weather—it’s a little chilly—she’s excited about the egg hunt.”
The kids took turns running out onto the grass, starting with the toddlers and going up by age.
Parents took to the field, too, to accompany the little ones.
The groups went out, and by age, to allow the younger kids to have more of a fighting chance.
Volunteers distributed new eggs between groups.
Sadie Short, followed closely by her mother Ashlei Short, was an Easter egg hawk, grabbing all of the ones she could find. Sadie rejected the loose candy, opting for more eggs instead.
Four-year-old Ezra Jack Warren waited patiently, using his father Timothy Warren’s knee as a chair.
“He’s already excited,” Timothy said. “Like, ‘I’m ready.’”
When toddler Abigail Hamilton sat down to get her face painted, her family joked that she would only allow Canales to paint a dot.
Moments later, she jumped out of the seat with only a bright pink dot on her nose. Her mother, Stefanie Hamilton, sat down in the chair and had her face painted, too.
Canales agreed that the event was successful.
“We had a lot of participation, everybody seemed to have a great time, a lot of fun,” she said. “Face painting was very popular. It turned out great despite the chilly weather.”
Shiryl Tompkins played the music for the cakewalk, and Angela Gorton also helped keep the event flowing.
Steven and Mady Killfoil, who helped handle the egg hunt, said they loved having the event in their town.
“I think it’s a success,” Mady said as Steven added that “the kids are loving it.”
Mady continued, saying that “next year will probably be even better.”
Cross Roads businesswoman Nichole Wagganer, who brought her son Max Wagganer to the event, said she loved the event.
She and her sister, Ashlie Wagganer, provided a Pilates class to the people attending the event.
As they were waiting to hunt eggs, some of the children tossed bean bags at a board, trying to make it through the targets.
Herman and Johanna Oosterwijk brought their granddaughters to the event.
“Almost!” Herman called out in encouragement as they played the game.
He described the event as excellent.
“People want to get out,” he said.
Others made their way over to a pen holding alpacas from 29 Acres.
Inside the pavilion, Debbie Womack of Greater Yield had set up several whiteboards to continue the community visioning project, asking people to say how they see Cross Roads and what they would change.
She took input from people of all ages, including a boy who suggested adding a GaGa ball pit.
