Bidens celebrate White House Easter Egg Roll despite thunderstorms
WASHINGTON - Thunder and lightning delayed the start of the White House Easter Egg Roll, but gray skies and rain couldn’t keep the fun away for long.
Groups were originally scheduled to be welcomed onto the grounds of the White House beginning at 7 a.m. for the annual day-after-Easter celebration, but thunderstorms pushed back start times.
By around 8 a.m., the storms had cleared and visitors poured onto the South Lawn to take in the fun. The festivities are expected to run through 7 p.m.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill greeted 40,000 guests during this year's annual White House Easter Egg Roll!
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill greeted the 40,000 guests to Monday’s "EGG-ucation"-themed Easter Egg Roll around 11 a.m. The day is the work of the first lady who has been a teacher for more than 30 years.
"I’m a teacher, so I love any time when we can turn the White House into a classroom," the first lady said. The South Lawn of the White House and Ellipse were transformed into a school community with fun learning activities for young visitors. Stations were set up to help teach children about healthy eating, exercise, and farming. A large schoolhouse featured science, technology, engineering, and mathematics activities, like building circuit-breakers and simulating fossil digs.
Bidens celebrate White House Easter Egg Roll despite thunderstorms
"Because of you, the American people, I mean this sincerely, I’ve never been more optimistic about America than I am today. We have an enormous opportunity. We just have to remember who we are. We are the United States of America," President Biden said to the crowd before joining a group of children who were using wooden spoons to roll hard-boiled eggs across the lawn to a finish line in a classic egg roll contest.
The day also featured an Easter egg hunt, photos, and performances. The event dates to the presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes,who opened the White House lawn to children after they were kicked off the grounds of the U.S. Capitol.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill greeted 40,000 guests during this year's annual White House Easter Egg Roll!
The Associated Press contributed to this report