First lady Jill Biden to focus on schools for second Easter Egg Roll

The White House Easter Egg Roll will focus on schools for the second year in a row, with first lady Jill Biden turning the South Lawn into an “EGG-ucation” event.

The traditional event is slated for Monday and about 30,000 people are expected to attend. Special appearances are also expected, including from Halle Bailey, who played Ariel in The Little Mermaid, players from the Baltimore Ravens and the Philadelphia Eagles, the cast members of The Lion King on Broadway, and Chaunté Lowe, who is a Team USA High Jump athlete.

Biden plans to highlight NASA at the egg roll this year after the agency sent one of the wooden official White House Easter Eggs up to the International Space Station. The White House’s social media accounts will share videos of the egg in space and the astronauts demonstrating the laws of gravity in the days leading up to the event.

The features on the South Lawn on Monday will include a school house activity area, reading nook, talent show, field trip to a farm, picture day, a marching band, history class to learn about the White House, a physical “EGGucation” Zone, and a snack time tent. 

Some costumed characters will also be roaming around the South Lawn, including The Lorax, Bluey and Bingo, and the stars of Paw Patrol, Sponge Bob, and Blue’s Clues.

The event is supported by the American Egg Board, who has participated in it for 45 years, and attendees on Monday include families of the U.S.S. Delaware and U.S.S. Gabrielle Giffords, which are the U.S. Naval vessels that the first lady sponsors. Tickets for the general public were distributed to guests through an online public lottery.

Biden, who is a longtime educator, hosted her first Easter Egg Roll last year and that event was also education-themed. The tradition dates back to 1878 and was canceled the first year of the Biden administration due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2022 event featured Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon and actress Kristin Chenoweth. Lawmakers were also spotted in the crowd with their families, including now-Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.).