The Eggstravaganza is always a sight to behold.

If you haven’t attended this annual event before, there’s quite a bit of pomp and circumstance surrounding a main event that lasts maybe 20 seconds.

It really is a fantastic community event, and this past weekend’s egg hunt was no exception. Several local organizations, churches and volunteers pitch in to make for a memorable event for local youngsters, including plenty of food, activities, photo ops with holiday celebrities and more.

As I’ve said in the past, though, the actual Easter egg hunt is over in a flash. Thousands upon thousands of eggs are spread out across a trio of ballfields and, once the countdown reaches zero, they disappear into hundreds of baskets in the blink of an eye.

Maybe not the best comparison, considering how wonderful, bright and colorful the Eggstravaganza always is, but it reminds me of a Discovery Channel special highlighting the behavior of piranhas. You know those scenes where a chunk of meat gets dropped into the water, the fish swarm and then, before you know it, there’s nothing left but a bone? Well, it’s exactly like that.

The eggs are everywhere, there’s a flurry of motion and then, boom, nothing left but grassy fields and youngsters investigating their haul on the sidelines.

And the answer is yes, parents of Fountain Hills; I did just compare your children to ravenous river beasties. You were there. You saw it happen. You can’t tell me the imagery isn’t accurate.

Anyway, kudos to everyone who contributed to this year’s Eggstravaganza and thanks to all of the families and community members who came out to make the 2017 event yet another success. These are the kinds of events those piranhas – I mean children – are going to fondly remember for years to come, and I’m glad this is a community where those opportunities still exist.

*****

Just a quick aside to discuss the process of earning Fountain Hills’ Dark Skies distinction.

I lived in Flagstaff for nearly five years and, as our coverage in this week’s edition points out, it is indeed a Dark Skies community.

I’m sure things have changed over the years in regards to regulations, procedures, requirements and the like but, if a college town with a big campus and a busy downtown area can manage it, I have little doubt that Fountain Hills can pull it off, too.

There are all sorts of ways to keep a town well-lit and safe without flooding the night sky with light, and now would be a good time to nail those plans down before downtown development (both physical and in terms of a “night life”) get too far along.

Like many big things that happen in Fountain Hills, a group of local volunteers and cooperation from the Town are to thank for the process making it so far along already. Hopefully we’re not too far off from seeing the whole thing through to completion.