By Staff
The Easter Eggstravaganza, hosted by Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to welcome Miss Dowagiac 2005 Courtney Dufour and her court, who will help staff the springtime children's event, which will be staged in and around downtown Beckwith Park for youngsters, ages 1-7 years old.
The old-fashioned Easter egg hunt and related activities will be held on Saturday, March 19, with a rain date of the following Saturday.
Corporate and community co-sponsors of the springtime celebration are: Midwest Energy Cooperative in Cassopolis; and Kappa Beta Sorority, Dowagiac Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance Service and Felpausch Food Center, all of Dowagiac.
According to Vickie Phillipson, program director of the Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Development Authority, Miss Dowagiac and her court will oversee the children's take-home crafts project and will also judge the "Be a Bunny" costume contest that opens the celebration at 11:30 a.m.
Assisting Miss Dowagiac will be First Runner-up Katie Wright and Second Runner-up and Miss Congeniality Keera Morton. Phillipson said children wearing a bunny costume will vie for first-, second- and third-place awards, with each of the winners receiving an Easter basket of candy and toys from the Chamber of Commerce and Kappa Beta Sorority.
Costume judging takes place at 11:30 a.m. at Beckwith Park.
Following the old-fashioned Easter egg hunt, which is slated for noon, Miss Dowagiac and her court will present a take-home crafts project for children from noon to 2 p.m.
The interactive workshop is being offered free of charge by the Chamber of Commerce.
Also from noon to 2 p.m., parents can take pictures of their children with the costumed Easter Bunny; meet the costumed character Ashes "the fire dog" from the Dowagiac Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance Service; participate in chalk art and springtime games hosted by Kappa Beta Sorority; or have their faces painted.
Phillipson said the first 200 children to meet the Easter Bunny will receive a free springtime coloring book, courtesy of Kappa Beta, while volunteers of the fire and ambulance department will assist the Chamber of Commerce prepare for the Easter egg hunt, featuring more than 4,000 colorful plastic eggs, which have been filled with 9,000 pieces of wrapped chocolate.
The celebration is one of six seasonal community events of the Chamber of Commerce, which also include: the three-day Dowagiac Fun Fest in July, Rod and Roll Classic Auto Show in August, Old-Fashioned Christmas Celebration Open House Weekend in November, Candle-light Christmas Parade in December and Ice Time Festival in February.