Celebrate the return of spring by hopping over to Fir Grove Park for the City’s “Easter Egg Drop” and raffle for “golden egg” gift baskets on Saturday, April 4.

Children 10 and under are invited to join the City’s second annual “Easter Egg Drop” and get their photos taken with the “Easter Bunny” on the day before Easter. The first 400 kids to arrive can win candy and other small prizes for each colored egg they collect — plus enter a raffle to win one of several golden eggs to be exchanged for a special gift basket.

Roseburg Parks and Recreation is teaming up with the Roseburg Fire Department again this year to offer the free, family friendly event at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 4, in Fir Grove Park. Aviva Health is sponsoring the event.

Shortly after 9 a.m., Roseburg firefighters will drop about 5,000 colorful empty plastic Easter eggs from a ladder truck in the field just behind Umpqua Valley Arts. Last year, about 350 kids took part in the City’s first egg drop. If more than 400 turn out this year, children who aren’t among the first 400 to arrive can still watch the egg drop, but won’t be allowed onto the field right where the drop will take place.

“There’s a safety concern. We want everyone to be safe and have a fun experience,” said Roseburg Recreation Coordinator Tracy David. “We’re grateful to be partnering once again with the Roseburg Fire Department to bring this event back for the second year. Our goal is to grow this event each year, and we’re excited to have Aviva Health as our sponsor to help us do just that.”

Kids will be challenged to collect one small plastic egg of each color — red, orange, yellow, pink, teal and purple — to exchange for candy or another prize at a booth or table staffed by Roseburg Parks, Roseburg Fire and community partners such as Cascade Community Credit Union, Umpqua Valley Arts and the YMCA of Douglas County.

Each child will get a raffle ticket upon arrival that morning. Shortly before thousands of eggs are dropped, Parks staff will hold a raffle drawing to give away several golden plastic eggs the size of ostrich eggs and corresponding gift baskets filled with goodies made possible or donated by local organizations. For example, one gift basket will entitle the ticket holder to a day at Winston’s Wildlife Safari with drive-through admission for four people and a close encounter with the animal of the child’s choice.

The “Easter Bunny” will arrive before the egg drop and later be available for photos on Roseburg Fire Department’s 1934 Chevy antique fire engine. Photos with the “Easter Bunny” are very popular — children and their parents or other guardians usually line up to meet and greet the giant rabbit.