Business in the Pines will present the second annual EasterFest on Thursday, March 13 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Last year, snow drove the event indoors, but 300 people still turned out to enjoy the festivities in the Castle Pines North (CPN) Community Center. This year promises to be bigger and better.

Held in the Business District in CPN, EasterFest will delight kids of all ages with activities and goodies galore. Businesses will hang a giant Easter egg on their front doors to let kids know they are participating.

Besides lots of Easter goodies, there will be Springtime tattoos, cookie decorating at Entrée Vous, drawings for two $50 Toys R Us certificates, a US Savings Bond drawing, and Easter bingo.

There will be a bunny cupcake walk every 15 minutes and an Easter bonnet/hat contest at 5 p.m.

The Easter Bunny himself will be at Castle Rock Bank for boys and girls to meet and greet. Bring a camera to capture the moment.

Be sure to download picture templates from www.businessinthepines.com for the pre-event coloring contest. Artists are urged to color, paint, and decorate the images, and submit by March 10. Do not forget to put the name of the contestant, their age, and their phone number on the back. Winning pictures will receive a prize, and will be posted the day of the event.

Prudential Preferred Real Estate will be collecting “care package” items to donate to a platoon stationed in Iraq. Items needed include: Otter Pops, packages of cookies-especially Girl Scout cookies, mini Purell hand santizers, coffee, toiletries for men and women, candy, presweetened drink mixes, snack cakes, gum, Kraft Mac & Cheese, granola bars, canned soup, summer sausage, lollipops, Chapstick, sunblock, batteries, and microwave popcorn.

Anyone who brings in a donation for the platoon will receive a certificate for a new tree to plant in their yard. Trees will be available March 24 and can be picked up at Prudential Preferred Real Estate anytime during that week.

CPN businesses recognize the surrounding community focus is strongly on family fun. EasterFest is sure to be a hopping good time for all.