Though the previous day was a very rainy one indeed, Easter at Simkins Park was blessed with practically picture-perfect weather on Sunday, setting the stage for a day of celebration with friends and family.
Kicking off at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, Easter at Simkins welcomed a large crowd all excited to enjoy the holiday. The Mills family hosts this community gathering each year and they were bolstered by a throng of volunteers who worked to turn the park into a truly festive venue.
“The event was amazing,” D.J. Mills told the Pahrump Valley Times with evident pleasure. “The Saturday set-up was notably rough but we had a productive evening and made up for lost time with the help of some dedicated volunteers. Sunday’s weather cleared up and everything went smoothly. Families were having fun together, people were serving others with a generous heart and the community came together to celebrate. It’s hard to say just how many people came but my guestimate would be around 600-plus.”
Easter at Simkins Park included free hotdogs, chips, snow cones and chilled water, along with a plethora of games and activities to keep attendees entertained. Crafts and coloring pages were arrayed on tables and all sorts of outdoor games were available, including cornhole, tug-of-war, Connect 4, Jenga, ring-toss, three-legged races and more. The Kiwanis Club provided games and there was face painting and photo opportunities, too.
Worship music was a big feature of Easter at Simkins Park as well, with tributes to event founder Cassandra Selbach and others who have passed on. “Our worship music included jam session recordings of loved ones in heaven, including my sister Cassandra, Wendy King and Bill Kerr, which was very special,” Mills noted.
Perhaps the most anticipated part of the day for the youngsters was the massive Easter Egg Hunt. A total of 14,000 colorful plastic eggs were stuffed with goodies and prizes, with some lucky Golden Eggs tossed in, before being scattered all around the park. Children were able to line up by age group and dash around the venue to collect as many of the coveted Easter eggs as possible and it was clear from the bulging bags that the kids made out like bandits.
“This event would not be what it is today without the incredible community support, people and organizations that come to be a part of it. Those who come to volunteer their time and resources help make it what it is,” Mills remarked. “Numerous community members came and gave their time freely to help set up, tear down, run stations, hide eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt and more. Additionally, we also had many people and organizations donate. Thank you to everyone!”
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com