Every Spring Break, Pismo Beach Recreation hosts the annual Easter Extravaganza at the Dinosaur Caves Park in Shell Beach. Students from Arroyo Grande High School and Nipomo High School gain community service hours by setting up craft booths, games, bounce houses, and Easter egg hunts for different age groups. And what’s an Easter event without an Easter Bunny mascot showing up to take photos with kids?
Food trucks were also provided for attendees to grab food and drinks at the event. Raegan Richards (‘24) and Finley Paulsen (‘24) helped out at a craft booth where kids got to turn plastic Easter eggs into dinosaurs to match the event theme. The children could choose any three color options purple, green, or yellow.
“My favorite part of the event was when the little kids would ask me how to do the activity because it was just so cute [since] they were all little and they didn’t know how to do it,” Richards said. “They looked up to me.”
The event itself had rubbed off positive fulfillment for Richards and other volunteers from their experience working with other kids.
“[The EGGstravaganza] has made me more willing to go to more events, because it was really fun, seeing the whole community together which was nice, especially for Easter,” Richards said.
While volunteers prepared for the event, some were concerned by the ongoing weather. The mix of light rain and sunshine by the ocean caused helpers to wonder if anyone would show up.
“The weather was being really annoying,” Richards said. “It was kind of sunny in the morning but still a little sprinkly, and then throughout the day there were just a bunch of dark clouds. “Then it was sunny right when the event ended.” ”It was just very weird and I did not like it, but we were under the booth so we were fine.”
However, parents and kids still showed up and participated with no complaints. Eventually, a rainbow appeared which enlightened the park for everyone.
Another craft booth was hosted by Dayana Santos (‘26) and Kian Dela Cruz (‘26). Kids not only got to explore creativity with Easter eggs but also with sand; a parent’s worst nightmare to have spilled in the house.
“We worked at the booth where [the kids] filled a necklace charm with sand,” Santos said. “There were a lot of kids and parents which led us to run out of sand.”
Near the end of the event, volunteers were rewarded with a candy bag and pizza for the hard work they contributed. Overall, the event was both a success and a fun prequel to Easter Sunday.
