Growing connections

Egg hunt, first Flower Festival draws in downtown visitors

By Tatiana Ambrosio

Staff Writer

On Saturday, Pilot Point held it’s Easter Egg Hunt and first ever Flower Festival. Families from Pilot Point and the surrounding areas were able to attend the hunt held at 10 a.m. at the Old City Park.

Turn out for the event was noticeably large.

“I was absolutely flabbergasted when I drove up here from the Easter egg hunt and I saw how full the square was. It’s just so wonderful to see so many people come out,” said Wendy Haun, Economic Development coordinator and Main Street director for the city of Pilot Point.

She also said she was glad the weather turned out to be great for the event.

Families with children ages 0-12 surrounded three sides of the park and spilled into the surrounding streets. Children dressed in spring attire flooded the park once the hunt started. Although all of the grassy areas were littered with eggs, the children made quick business of gathering their bounty.

After the hunt, groups of children made their way through their eggs as they counted their candy. Some parents stayed and visited among their neighbors as their children played on the park equipment.

Other families made their way to the Pilot Point Square for the Flower Festival.

At the Flower Festival, people were able to visit vendors. Some were from area farms selling everything from homemade jewelry and pickled vegetables to potted plants and metal yard art.

Lisa Stiles, the owner of Coco Fleur, brought a selection of succulents for customers to choose from. Some of them were in arrangements already, while others could be placed into an empty container.

“It’s something that we can do inside,” she said. “You don’t have to be a gardener. Everyone can do this. I feel like it’s easy to keep alive, it’s a great little houseplant, and it’s not expensive, so if you kill it you don’t feel too bad about it.”

She said the event itself was a great addition for the city, both for giving residents a fun event and for bringing out-of-town visitors in.

“I know we’re all so scared about all the growth that’s coming in, but if we embrace it and be our friendly self, with all of the town gathered together to welcome new people—there’s so many new faces—I’m ready for more of it,” Stiles said.

Children were also able to visit the Easter Bunny and have their pictures taken. They were also invited by the Pilot Point Chamber of Commerce to plant seeds of wildflowers in take home pots.

Representatives of the Pilot Point Chamber of Commerce included President Leslie Goolsby and Chamber Manager Evon Lusk.

“It’s something for the community, it’s something for the kids, and that will grow in and of itself,” Goolsby said

The chamber members helped the visitors to their booth plant seeds.

Lusk was happy about the event.

“It’s very important to build a strong connection with our community—not only our members, but our community,” she said. “They need to see us out here, being involved.”

Connecting with the community also inspired PPISD Trustee Amy McEvoy to attend the event.

McEvoy set up a chair and a chalkboard and invited people to talk about their concerns and ideas with her during the event.

She made connections with community members and people from neighboring communities.

“I’m on school board to make a difference and not just to have a vote on a once-a-month issue,” she said. “I want people to see me and say, ‘Tell me what you think.’”

On the west side of the Square, a wildflower garden remains in the Wes Miller Memorial Garden, planted by the 19th Century Club, for all those visiting to enjoy through the spring and summer.

Shops around the Square were also open and inviting to those visiting the festival.

Haun was glad to see visitors going into the stores along the square because that helps the city’s economy.

“This is a great kind of event to bring people to the downtown area on a beautiful Saturday and come in and do their shopping,” she said.

Bobbie Jezek, owner of The Purple Door Day Spa, said she loves seeing people come to the square with her only concern being that traffic was still flowing through the area during the event.

“I came out because I was working today, and I told them, I went around and I bought stuff and I said, ‘Put that underneath the table. I’ll be back with money,’” she said.

The Flower Festival ended at 2 p.m., just as Lowbrow’s was closing off a portion of West Liberty Street for a crawfish boil and outdoor concert series featuring Otis P. and Mason Morris of Koe Wetzel and the Konvicts.

Managing Editor Abigail Allen contributed to this report.