Hundreds of children usually turn out for the Easter egg hunt held by Lake Gregory the day before Easter. (File photo)

Easter egg hunt set for April 8

Duck Derby canceled

By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY

Staff Writer

This year, as spring is approaching, several events have been postponed or canceled after last month’s blizzard. Others are being reformulated to accommodate new realities on the mountain.

One such event being reformulated is the annual Easter egg hunt and Duck Derby held at Lake Gregory Regional Park. This two-fold event sponsored by the Crestline Chamber of Commerce and the Lake Gregory Company usually has the egg hunt in the morning and the Duck Derby in the afternoon. The egg hunt will still take place this year at the same time, in the morning, but this year on the new grassy meadow next to the San Moritz Lodge on Saturday, April 8. There will be some game booths again, as usual, set up on the track around the meadow. The eggs will be found in the grassy meadow and separated into zones for the different aged children, up to age 12 as usual.

Then, in previous years, in the afternoon, the ducks would slide down the waterslide and into the lake to raise money for the fireworks fund for Jamboree Days. The last couple of years, the duckies swam down a plastic river chute set up on the south shore beach between crowds of people cheering the little rubber duckies on. Adults had the opportunity to “adopt a duck” and, if their duck crossed the finish line first, they’d win the first-place cash prize.

Unfortunately, this year the Duck Derby race will not occur.

All 4,400 ducks have already been counted and accounted for, during a duck counting party at the chamber office. However, because of many circumstances beyond the chamber’s control and damage created by the blizzard, the Duck Derby has been canceled.

This year, over 14,000 eggs will be scattered by the Easter Bunny and his helpers all over the meadow for the children to find. More details will be forthcoming as the date gets closer.

The Duck Derby is usually the first fundraiser of the year to raise funds to pay for the cost of the free fireworks show over Lake Gregory during the Jamboree Days celebrations held over the July 4th holiday weekend. This year, the free fireworks show will begin at 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 1, weather permitting, after the Jamboree Days parade that starts at 10 a.m. that morning. The meadow will also be the site for the Picnic in the Park all day on Monday, July 3.

For more information on the Crestline Chamber of Commerce or to volunteer at any of their events, call the chamber office at (909) 338-2706. The office is located at 24385 Lake Drive on the north shore of Lake Gregory. After building repairs are made, it will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.