The traffic jam came with big trucks and an Easter egg hunt. The kids loved it

On any other day, Nathan Benderson Park is the epitome of serenity. The sweeping green fields of grass, the gentle lake and the many picnic tables are a sure spot for relaxation.

That wasn’t the case Saturday as thousands swarmed the area for the 22nd annual Big Truck Day EGGstravangza, which brought in more than 40 trucks for kids to play in.

Almost any heavy-duty vehicle you can think of was present. From a Sarasota County Area Transit bus to dump trucks to one of the Sarasota County Sheriff Office’s SWAT vehicles, they filled the lot, and kids were eager to pile inside.

The children were ruthless as they laid down on horns until their parents begged them to stop. Bawani Johnson, a route manager for Waste Management, hoisted kids into the cab of a large garbage truck all day.

“There are a lot of happy people here with smiles on their faces,” Johnson said. “I’ve had kids come ask me what the different trucks are used for. It’s just cool that they’re learning.”

Steffanie Drass said she takes her 5-year-old son, Julian, to the event every year so that he can play with the trucks he hopes to operate when he grows up.

“I want to be a construction worker,” Julian said. “Can we go see another construction truck, mommy?”

More than 30,000 Easter eggs were scattered across the field, too. There were two egg-hunting sessions during the event.

The hunt ended in seconds as hundreds of children flooded the field scooping up every egg in sight. Six-year-old Patrick O’Connor was still able to collect about 20 eggs in that short amount of time, though.

“My favorite part was throwing the eggs in the basket,” he said.

Patrick sat with his mother, Laura, opening his eggs and giggling with happiness as he discovered what was inside. The eggs were stuffed with temporary tattoos, bracelets and other tiny toys.

Laura said the egg hunt was a good start, but she still plans to put on her own egg hunt at home.

Besides honking horns and searching for the Easter Bunny’s hidden goodies, other opportunities for fun included the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s show and tell with a baby alligator, a bouncy house and free water activities.

In years past, the event was held at Twin Lakes Park, said Jamal Edwards, who works as program coordinator for Sarasota County Parks & Recreation. There, the event attracted about 4,000 people a year.

This year, Nathan Benderson Park served as a new venue and hailed about 7,000 attendees. Edwards said it’s a chance to showcase the facility, but more importantly, it introduces families to the world of service workers.

“It gets the kids out here for fun and it gets the word out about all the services the county has and does.”

But some families are already very familiar with the services. Johnson said a few families showed him pictures that they had already taken with the garbage men who run their routes at home.

“There are people who wait outside and give their driver a bottle of water every week, so this is great,” said Johnson. “Kids — and grown-ups, too — love trucks.”

This story was originally published March 31, 2018 at 5:30 PM with the headline "The traffic jam came with big trucks and an Easter egg hunt. The kids loved it."