City to Hold 'Eggstravaganzas' for Children

March 19, 2010
Richmond’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities will hold two free spring “Eggstravaganzas” for area children featuring egg hunts with a total of more than 30,000 candy-filled eggs.
The first will be held Saturday, March 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pine Camp Arts and Community Center, located at 4901 Old Brood Rd. The second will be held Saturday, March 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Forest Hill Park, located at 41st Street and Forest Hill Avenue.
Both events will include games, music, food, arts and crafts, face painting, balloon artists, the opportunity to have a caricature portrait drawn and a photo taken with “Mr. Bunny,” as well as an abundance of other activities and prizes. The Richmond Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office will also be on hand to fingerprint children. Every child will leave with something to take home.
Children should bring their own basket and arrive early to register for the egg hunts, which will be separated at each location into three hunts for different age groups. Each location will hold an egg hunt for children ages 4 and younger at noon, an egg hunt for children ages 5 to 7 at 12:30 p.m., and an egg hunt for children ages 8 to 12 at 1 p.m.
Joining the department are Radio One as co-sponsor of the Pine Camp Eggstravaganza and Clear Channel – 106.5 the Beat as co-sponsor the Forest Hill Eggstravaganza.

Department Offers Guided Walks

The department will continue offering its guided walks on the Slave Trail on Saturdays in March and has added a new walk in the James River Park to see the growing nesting colony of Great Blue Herons.
The guided walks along the Slave Trail will be offered every Saturday in March at 2 p.m. These are emotional walks that originate at the docks at Ancarrow’s Landing and cross the river to conclude at the site of Lumpkin’s Jail and the Reconciliation Statue.
Guided walks to see the heron rookery on the James River are a new program being offered in partnership with the Audubon Society. They will be held every Saturday throughout March at 11 a.m.
More than 40 nests of Great Blue Herons have been counted already in the James River Park’s growing rookery. This is a short hike to the viewing site, but you must be able to climb a ladder. Dress appropriately, and if possible bring binoculars or a spotting scope.
All walks are $5 per person and advance registration is required by calling 646-8911.

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Will the Paranormal Show Up?

March 2, 2010
If you are interested in the paranormal, you may want to be at the Pump House on Saturday, March 6, between 10:30 a.m. and noon. That's when Robert Bess and his team from the Foundation for Paranormal Research will attempt to capture and contain ghosts and other "foreign entities" at the Pump House. Bess will discuss his theories and explain his equipment.
He has advised the department that this event is not appropriate for children or the faint of heart. It is free and open to the public, and cameras are allowed.
The Pump House is located just north of the Boulevard Bridge.