President Biden, from the White House balcony, spoke to the crowd gathered below on the lawn. He highlighted Easter as a “season of joy, a time of rebirth, renewal, faith, hope and love,” and the possibilities the spring season brings as “seeds of new opportunity are planted.”
“What I see, looking across the South Lawn, is a country made up of possibilities,” Biden said. “Anything is possible in America if we remember who we are and we do it together.”
Following a week where a former U.S. president was indicted for the first time and a sitting Supreme Court justice was accused of failing to disclose that he accepted luxury trips around the world for two decades, the Easter Egg Roll offered a break from the tumult and a return to tradition on the Monday following Easter.
Brightly colored eggs — and 30,000 people — descended on the White House grounds in the early morning hours, continuing a tradition that began in 1878. Unlike the cold and rainy weather last year, the sun was bright and blue skies were clear as children and parents dressed in pastels began to arrive around 7:30 a.m.
This year’s theme, coined “EGGucation,” was centered around educational opportunities, a nod to first lady Jill Biden’s history as a teacher for more than three decades. Stretched across the lawn, activities included a visit to a school house, a field trip to the farm, a reading nook, the traditional egg roll and egg hunt, and more.
“Learning doesn’t only happen in the classroom,” the first lady said as she stood from the White House balcony. “We turned the South Lawn into a school community.”
Special guests — including animated series character Bluey, Sesame Street’s Abby Cadabby and the Washington Nationals’ Racing Presidents — made their way through the event waving and dancing. Halle Bailey, who plays Ariel in Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation of “The Little Mermaid,” also made an appearance along with, of course, the Easter Bunny.
Brianne Burger held her daughters’ hands as they smiled at yellow Minions characters circling an area on the lawn. Burger, who is deaf and a member of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Consumer Advocacy Network, said she was honored to attend the egg roll and to be able to participate with her family.
This year, the White House had a morning session that served as a quiet and calm period reserved specifically for people with disabilities. Scattered throughout the egg hunt, there were also audio-sensory eggs that beeped for children and parents who were visually impaired to find.
“We feel especially included,” said Burger, with Adi, 8, and Maia, 6. “We hope that they do that every year.”
Shamia Haggins, a special-education teacher with D.C. Public Schools, attended the event with her kindergarten students. They took advantage of calming sensory activities and hands-on sports like soccer and baseball at one of the most famous addresses in the world.
“I like the inclusivity that they are offering,” said Haggins, with students Mason and Messiah, 6-year-old twins, and their 5-year-old classmate Mason. “Just engaging them, which a lot of times we see, it doesn’t really include our group.”
Donned in white and blue hats and aprons, event volunteers roamed the grounds making sure everything ran smoothly.
Gloria Elko, who lives in Fairfax Station in Virginia, signed up for the lottery to attend with her children but also applied to volunteer to increase her chances of getting an invite. Though she didn’t get to bring along her family, she was proud to be a volunteer.
“Anytime you can make the kids really happy and smile over something joyous, sign me up,” said Elko, who helped hide the beeping eggs for the hunt.
Others traveled from far and wide, like the Carroway family. Grandmother Roberta, along with her daughter Raven and 3-year-old granddaughter Rhea, drove from Smyrna, Ga., to D.C. on Sunday morning to experience the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Eggs were on full display through nearly every aspect of the event — from the ones children rolled across the grass on spoons to the ones cooked for breakfast, said Emily Metz, president and CEO of the American Egg Board. The national marketing organization of the nation’s egg farmers has supplied the eggs for the event for over 40 years.
The eggs used in the egg roll and hunt this year were all dyed five bright colors — pink, green, orange, light blue and dark blue. Traditionally, bright white eggs dotted the lawn.
“They [farmers] feel like you cannot have the Easter Egg Roll without real chicken eggs,” Metz said. “They see this as our Super Bowl — it’s egg season.”
Sixth-generation farmer Sam Krouse, from Indiana, said he had “chills all morning” being at the White House to meet the Bidens to celebrate eggs and Easter. In the midst of challenges, such as the bird flu outbreak and rising egg prices, Krouse said farmers feel “a lot of responsibility” to provide eggs for people that rely on them for food and livelihood.
After the event, the American Egg Board planned on composting the eggs, which will be used in community gardens and parks across the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area, Metz said.
