Sugar-seeking children from all over the county will assemble in the luscious green fields of T.K. Lawless Park next weekend, as the Cass County Parks Department hosts its annual Spring Egg-stravaganza on Saturday, May 19.

The event will take place that morning at the Vandalia park grounds from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with two Easter egg hunts: one for children ages 2-4 that will take place around 11:30 a.m., and a second for children 5-10 around an hour later. Admission to the park that morning will cost $2 per person.

In addition to the two hunts, which take place across the 4-acre park field, a number of family-friendly activities are lined up for visitors. These include a petting zoo set up by Mesko Farms, an arts and crafts table, face painting, wagon rides, a 20-foot inflatable slide and a bonfire area. Volunteers with the Friends of the Cass County Parks will also be making and selling refreshments, including hot dogs, popcorn and s’mores.

“There’s a lot to do. It’s great for families and it’s very reasonably priced at just $2 per person,” said Parks Director Scott Wyman.

As in previous years, the director will be shipping in premade Easter eggs for the search, which contain soft candy for children to enjoy, Wyman said.

“I’ll have more than 5,000 eggs we’ll be putting out there, so I can assure you every kid is going to get plenty of eggs,” Wyman said.

The annual Easter event kicks off the spring season at Lawless, which plays host to the Earth and Stars Celebration in May. The parks department, with assistance from the Friends of the Cass County Parks, has sponsored the Egg-stravaganza for the last 10 or so years, hosting the event the weekend before Easter, Wyman said.

Typically the event draws between 400 to 500 people, though the colder weather last year saw those numbers decline with only around 350 participating in the activities, Wyman said.

“As long as it’s a positive event and people are having fun, attendance numbers aren’t all that important to us,” Wyman said.

With forecasts calling for 45 to 50 degree weather next weekend, the director is optimistic that the weather for this year’s Egg-stravaganza will be more agreeable to visitors, Wyman said.

T.K. Lawless Park is located at 15122 Monkey Run St., Vandalia.

For more event information or information on volunteering at the event, please contact the Cass County Parks and Recreation Commission at (269) 445-4456, find the department’s page on Facebook or email Scott Wyman at scottwy@cassco.org