How to Attend the 2016 Easter Egg Roll at the White House

Our family attended the 2014 White House Easter Egg Roll and had so much fun we'd like to go again! Tickets are free and open to the public, but are available in limited quantities, so an online lottery system is in place for those who would like to attend. To win tickets, enter the White House Easter Egg Roll lottery at www.recreation.gov. The lottery opens on Friday, February 12 and will stay open for 5 days. Winners will be notified via email. Tickets in limited quantities are often available for military families as well. Check with your local USO or military base. Check out the video we made of our Easter Egg Roll photos below for a glimpse of our day in DC. Good luck! 

About the White House Easter Egg Roll

The White House Easter Egg Roll is an annual family event to hunt for and race Easter Eggs on the White House Lawn while enjoying storytelling and a visit with the Easter Bunny. The holiday tradition has a long history dating back to 1878 when President Rutherford B. Hayes officially opened the White House grounds to local children for egg rolling on Easter Monday. Successive Presidents have continued the tradition of inviting children to the White House Lawn for egg rolling and other activities and entertainment.

The White House will open the South Lawn to families to enjoy sports, cooking classes, live musical performances, storytelling and the traditional White House Easter Egg Roll. The theme for the 2015 White House Easter Egg Roll is “#GimmeFive.” As part of the fifth anniversary of the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, Mrs. Obama is challenging Americans across the country to #GimmeFive things they are doing to eat better, be more active, and lead a healthier life.

Date: Monday, March 28, 2016, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Location: The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC (202) 456-7041. All guests will enter the event from the Ellipse and will go through a security screening process.

White House Easter Egg Roll Tickets

Tickets are distributed free of charge via an online lottery system, allowing guests from across the United States to participate. All attendees must have a ticket. The ticket lottery details will be announced about a month before the event.

All attendees will be required to go through a security screening process. No food or beverages are allowed on the grounds. Duffel Bags, suitcases and backpacks are not allowed. Strollers, diaper bags, baby formula, and baby bottles are permitted.

2016 Event Highlights

•Egg hunt & the traditional Egg Roll

•Live musical performances for all ages

•Storytime - celebrities bring books to life

•An instructional dance party on the South Lawn

•An ultimate all-in-one obstacle course. Climb, jump, and run your way through a variety of sports drills

•Hands-on training from basketball and tennis pros on the President’s court

•A session of yoga from professional instructors

•Egg dying, egg decorating, and more

•An entertaining activity center filled with opportunities to learn about healthy eating

•Interactive, educational activities designed to spark scientific curiosity and creativity.

2016 Special Guests

To Be Announced

History of the White House Easter Egg Roll

The Easter Egg Roll is the longest held annual presidential tradition. Informal egg roll parties were recorded at the White House during the early Lincoln administration. During the post-Civil War years, the Easter egg games were played on the grounds surrounding the U.S. Capitol Building. In 1876, an act of Congress outlawed the Capitol grounds and terraces from being used as playgrounds to protect the property from destruction. In 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes officially opened the White House grounds to local children for egg rolling on Easter Monday.

During World War I and II, the events were canceled. Dwight D. Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower revived the event in 1953 after a 12-year absence. In 1969, Pat Nixon's staff introduced the White House Easter Bunny, a staffer dressed in a white fleece bunny costume who roamed the grounds and welcomed the egg rollers and posed for photographs. By 1974 the activities evolved into organized egg-rolling races. The 1981 eggstravaganza included assorted clowns and characters, balloon vendors, Broadway show vignettes, a petting zoo, exhibits of antique cars, and an eggxposition of specially decorated eggs (one for each state). Each egg roller received a goody bag filled with a program, toy products supplied by corporate sponsors, and food- whose wrappers littered the lawn. Since 1987 the event's theme has been inscripted on each egg, and by 1989 George and Barbara Bush added their facsimile signatures. Today the official eggs are given one to a child (under 12) as they leave the South Lawn.

Wishing you warm spring sunshine in the very near future! Enjoy your spring and Happy Easter!

xoxo, Erin

Southern Virginia Mom

SoVA Mom Home

 

psss....Have you perused Emily Ley's new line of gorgeous simplified planners in spring-like colors and pretty patterns? You simply must. They are almost as darling as she is. Almost. xoxo, Erin