White House to host Easter Egg Roll for first time since coronavirus pandemic

Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY
·2 min read

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration announced Thursday that it will host the White House Easter Egg Roll this year — the first time in three years since the coronavirus pandemic.

The Easter Egg Roll will take place on April 18 on the South Lawn. The annual event was canceled last year due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The event was called off in March 2020 under the Trump administration due to COVID-19.

The White House also announced that it will continue the annual tradition of opening the White House gardens and South Grounds for public tours. The Spring Garden Tours will be on April 9 and April 10 between 10 a.m. ET to 4:30 p.m. ET each day.

The announcements come as several Washington, D.C. institutions are resuming public tours.

More: White House to resume public tours after two-year pandemic closure

The Biden administration announced several weeks ago that public tours of the White House will resume April 15. In addition, guided tours for limited groups of people who register in advance have resumed at the U.S. Capitol.

President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and the Easter Bunny wave from the White House balcony on Easter Monday during what would have been the traditional White House Easter Egg Roll, which was canceled due to Covid-19, on the South Lawn, April 5, 2021.
President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and the Easter Bunny wave from the White House balcony on Easter Monday during what would have been the traditional White House Easter Egg Roll, which was canceled due to Covid-19, on the South Lawn, April 5, 2021.

Earlier this month, the White House ended its face mask mandate on the White House grounds as COVID-19 cases have plummeted in Washington, D.C. Washington's COVID-19 level is considered low based on CDC metrics.

Despite COVID-19 cases going down in the area, several White House officials have tested positive for the virus in recent weeks.

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff tested positive for coronavirus earlier this month. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tested positive for the virus this week, causing her to miss a trip to Europe with the president.

More: White House press secretary Jen Psaki tests positive for COVID for a second time

The Easter Egg Roll extravaganza, which is hosted by the president and first lady, has been held nearly every year since 1878. The main event, which typically attracts thousands of kids and their parents, is the spectacle of children rolling hard-boiled eggs across the lawn. Someone dressed as a giant Easter bunny usually attends the event.

An online lottery for tickets to the Easter Egg Roll begins Friday at 10 a.m. ET and closes on March 31 at 10 a.m. ET. Winners of tickets will be selected randomly and will be notified by April 7.

For the Spring Garden Tours, those interested must have a ticket that is distributed for free at a tent stationed near the Ellipse Visitors Pavilion each day beginning at 8:30 AM ET. Tickets are issued on a first come, first served basis.

Contributing: Maria Puente and Joey Garrison

Reach Rebecca Morin at Twitter @RebeccaMorin_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: White House resumes Easter Egg Roll for first time since COVID