The weekend forecast includes a 100% chance of faithful fun, as Plant City’s First Baptist Church hosts its seventh annual Egg Drop Festival.
The church will drop 5,000 eggs via helicopter — much to the delight of Plant City children — during this year’s celebration, which will take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 23, at the church’s South Campus property, 3309 James L. Redman Parkway.
The 5,000 airborne ovals will join 45,000 more already on the ground to complete one of the area’s largest Easter egg hunts.
“We wanted to bring families to our South Campus, and this seemed like a good way,” Bill Bender, minister of children and preschool, said of the Egg Drop’s origin.
Bender had seen news stories about other festivals dropping eggs from a helicopter.
“I thought, ‘That just kind of seems like an odd thing,’” he said.
Bender was able to find a pilot through a church member. The member’s mother worked at Mosaic, and the company helped connect the church with a willing pilot.
In addition to the pilot, it takes about 150 volunteers to organize the festival. Bender orders the eggs from a company that employs special-needs adults, Sunny Bunny Easter Eggs. Once the eggs arrive, two assistants unpack and sort them into garbage bags.
Congregation members then take the garbage bags home and fill the eggs with candy, bringing them back before the celebration.
The Friday before the festival, a volunteer nicknamed the “stork” picks the eggs up and delivers them to the field, where a crew of distributors scatter the eggs.
The egg count has grown from 20,000 the first year to 50,000 this year. Only 5,000 can be dropped from the helicopter; the other 45,000 are scattered before the event by about 20 volunteers. The event brings about 5,000 people to the church’s rural property.
The egg hunt is open to children through fifth grade. There are four fields separated by age categories signified by the colors red, purple, lime green, and orange. Different colored hay bales in the fields will distinguish them from each other. When children register, they will also be given a corresponding colored bag in which to collect eggs.
A preschool area, called the “Preschool Patch,” is designated for younger children.
“It is a sight to be seen,” Bender said.
In addition to the the egg hunt, there is a “Trail of Miracles” in the 50-acre property’s wooded area. Attendees can walk through and learn about the miracles of Christ. At the end is the cross and resurrection.
Food is available to children free. Johnson’s BBQ donates the food, along with Sonic and Toufayan Bakery.
“When the kids leave, they leave well fed and with prizes,” Bender said.
Candy from the eggs is prize enough for most of the participants, but a few luckier ones could walk away with a Kindle Fire or Leapster. Attendees also will be able to enter for chances to win a variety of prize baskets.
“We just want to show family the love of Christ,” Bender said.
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
IF YOU GO
FIRST BAPTIST EASTER FESTIVAL
WHEN: 10 a.m. March 23. Egg Drop at noon.
WHERE: Plant City’s First Baptist Church’s South Campus, 3309 James L. Redman Parkway
INFORMATION: (813) 752-4104
OTHER EASTER CELEBRATIONS
MARCH 22-23
Easter Bunny Photos
WHEN: 2 to 6 p.m. March 22-23
WHERE: The Red Caboose, 908 McIntosh Road
INFORMATION: (813) 759-3345
MARCH 29-31
Bethany Baptist Church
WHAT: Sunrise service and breakfast
WHEN: 7 a.m. March 31
WHERE: 3409 Cork Road
INFORMATION: (813) 752-9209
Church on the Rock
WHAT: Easter service and drama presentation
WHEN: 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. March 31
WHERE: 301 E. Alsobrook St.
INFORMATION: (813) 752-3740
Hope Lutheran Church
WHAT: Easter celebration
WHEN: March 31. 7 a.m. Sonrise Festival Worship; 8:15 a.m. Easter Breakfast; 9:15 a.m. Easter Egg-Stravaganza; 10:30 a.m. Festival Worship; 5:30 p.m. Spanish Worship; 6:30 p.m. Spanish Easter Egg-Stravaganza
WHERE: 2001 N. Park Road
INFORMATION: (813) 752-4622
Plant City Church of God
WHAT: Sunrise service
WHEN: 7 a.m. March 31
WHERE: Outdoor service overlooking Walden Lake
INFORMATION: (813) 752-4591
Shiloh Baptist Church
WHAT: Easter celebration
WHEN: Living Cross Service at 7 p.m. March 29 and 30; Easter service and egg hunt at 10:15 a.m. March 31
WHERE: 905 W. Terrace Drive
INFORMATION: (813) 752-8345
St. Clement Catholic Church
WHAT: Sunrise service
WHEN: 6:45 a.m. March 31
WHERE: 1104 N. Alexander St.