Family-friendly Easter activities await residents in Rocky View County this month.
At New Horizon Mall (NHM) in East Balzac, the shopping centre will celebrate Easter April 20 from 1 to 3 p.m. The festivities will include an Easter egg hunt at 1 p.m. and a crafts table for kids, as well as an Easter basket giveaway.
But the highlight of the afternoon, according to NHM Marketing Manager Alexandra Winn, will be a live performance from the Dueling Piano Kings at 2 p.m.
“They recently won the 2019 Canadian Entertainers of the Year, so we feel very honoured to have them join us for this Easter celebration,” Winn said.
Since NHM opened in May 2018, the venue has made a point of hosting special events to celebrate seasonal holidays like Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. In October 2018, the mall hosted the Fall Festival and Halloween Family Event, which included a Kids Play Zone, face painting, a bouncy castle, photo booth, food and beverage booths and cultural performances.
In December 2018, NHM celebrated its first Christmas with a series of cultural performances throughout the month.
“We like to be a destination that is [not just] for shopping, but for entertainment and community events, as well,” Winn said.
Winn added registration for the April 20 event is not necessary and the event is free to attend.
Chestermere tradition continues
On the eastern side of RVC, the City of Chestermere and United Way will hold the city’s ninth annual Easter Egg Hunt Fundraiser (EEHF) April 20, with proceeds supporting the United Way/Chestermere Partnership.
“All of the funds raised from this event remain in the City of Chestermere and are re-invested or re-allocated back into the community through the Human Services Advisory Board,” said City of Chestermere Event Co-ordinator Marla Polachek. “Programs we fund focus on overcoming poverty, inspiring successful kids and building strong communities.”
The event kicks off at 9:45 a.m. at the Lakeside Golf Club, located at 555 Lakeside Greens Drive. Kids will scurry about in search of chocolate eggs to fill their baskets and have the chance to meet the Easter Bunny, who will be making a special appearance at the event.
The annual tradition typically raises more than $2,000 each year, Polachek said, with about 400 kids taking part.
“We also see parents, grandparents or other family members join in, too,” she said.
Registration for the event is $7 per child. Participants will “eggschange” the eggs they've collected for an Easter treat. Children are encouraged to bring their own basket, but organizers will have extra on hand for those who don’t have their own.
Crossfield event cancelled
One municipality in RVC that will not be holding its annual Easter event is the Town of Crossfield, which will be foregoing its Easter Eggstravaganza.According to Town of Crossfield Recreation and Events Co-ordinator Eris Latham, scheduling conflicts led to the cancellation of the Easter tradition this year.
“We’ve been doing it for long as I can remember, and unfortunately this year, we couldn’t bring it back because of scheduling conflicts with our venue,” she said. “The Crossfield Community Centre is a very busy, little place now. It just hosted the farmers’ market in town, we have an election coming up and it’s getting to be wedding season, so we’re not able to get in there.”
Latham said the Town of Crossfield attempted to plan a family-hiking event instead, but there was not enough community interest.
