WASHINGTON — It’s your last chance to get into the lottery for this year’s White House Easter Egg Roll. The online lottery closes at noon on Wednesday.
The theme for this year’s event is “Let’s Celebrate!” and more than 35,000 people are expected to join in the tradition. The Easter Egg Roll festivities will include plenty of fun and games, in addition to celebrating First Lady Michelle Obama and the contributions of the Obama Administration to the event.
New events this year will include the first White House Fun Run, inspired by the first lady’s Let’s Move! Initiative.
According to Recreation.gov, the White House Easter Egg Roll dates back to 1878. For the original events, children would gather at Capitol Hill. But members of Congress got tired of the crowds, and passed an act that prohibited egg-rolling on the Capitol Grounds.
“The event was moved to the White House in 1878 after President [Rutherford] Hayes was approached by young children to use his backyard to roll eggs,” the website states.
The lottery can be entered on the Recreation.gov site. Winners will be notified at a later date. Tickets are free of charge, and cannot be sold.
