Program supervisor: Springfest egg hunt drew strong turnout; staff will adjust layout to reduce crowding

At a recent meeting of the Baldwin Park City Recreation and Community Services Commission, program supervisor April Rojo recapped the city’s Springfest and egg hunt, saying the free community event drew high attendance and prompted staff to plan layout changes to reduce crowding.

Rojo said the event took place Saturday, April 4, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., with the egg hunt beginning at about 10:45 a.m. Organizers used both the front field on Ramona Boulevard and the back athletic field at Morgan Park. Activities included inflatables divided by age group, an arts-and-crafts station, a bubble-play area, a butterfly exhibit brought by a local museum, a magic show, free printed photos with the Easter bunny, and three vendors on site.

"We use every inch of Morgan Park," Rojo said, describing arrangements for different age groups and a wheelchair-accessible inclusive area on the basketball courts. She said staff provided sensory-friendly and fidget items in the inclusive area and made small prize bags available for families who preferred not to participate in the egg hunt.

Rojo reported eight golden-egg winners in each section—"40 golden tickets" in all—and that infant winners received small stuffed animals while older children received larger prizes such as Lego sets. She also said staff plan to split one age group into an additional section next year to accommodate more very young children.

A commissioner raised concerns about crowding near the countdown and mesh barriers at the start of the hunt. Rojo described a planned change: staff will create a U-shaped internal access walkway and reconfigure corral entrances so that children disperse more evenly across the field when the hunt begins.

The commission praised staff for the turnout and urged staff to pass on thanks to the crew and volunteers. Rojo noted the event was featured on local television and that the city will incorporate lessons from this year when planning next year’s event.

The meeting record shows the commission approved the previous meeting minutes and later adjourned; no formal action related to Springfest was taken at the meeting.