I Attended a Spring Egg-stravaganza That Was Packed With Princesses!

I've been attending a lot of local princess events since moving into my new castle. One company whose events looked amazing that I kept missing out on was Once Upon a Party, a high-end princess party and event company based in New Braunfels that shares beautiful photos of its characters on social media that are on par or better than the Disney theme parks. Yesterday, I was finally able to attend one of their events, and it was everything I was hoping for and more. Hosted at the beautiful San Antonio Botanical Garden, Once Upon a Party's Spring Egg-stravaganza is a hidden treasure trove of beautiful and talented characters wandering around and interacting with guests of all ages with no lines and no crowds. But that's not all. The event also featured merchandise, games, Easter egg hunts, and a petting zoo presented by Once in a Wild.

When we arrived at the Botanical Garden, the Once Upon a Party team had a table set up near the entrance to check in and get a wristband for the egg hunt (which I did not participate in). They gave us a map that led through the beautiful gardens to a secret grove where the event could be viewed from a distance before entering. A few colorful tents were set up as princesses, fairies, and superheroes wandered around playing with the children as the voices of the stage show presenters were projected from the outdoor stage. Upon entering the amphitheater, I was greeted by Mirabel from Encanto who geeked out with me over my Disney outfit and keychains. Fawn, the animal fairy from Pixie Hollow, was on stage presenting a show with Once in a Wild as they brought out a live iguana, owl, and bunny rabbit. On the other side of the open field, a massive pile of colorful easter eggs flowed down a sloping green hill where Rosetta and Silvermist frolicked together. Tons of other popular Disney characters wandered freely throughout the field, ready to greet any guests who came up to them.

I had such a blast wandering around and talking to all the characters at my leisure in what would have taken hours to do at the Disney Parks! Everyone complimented me on my Rapunzel dress from Hot Topic and my customized parasol from Etsy. The Mad Hatter asked me if the flowers on my dress talk to me and said I should drink some more insani-tea. Alice asked me if I'm a queen like the Queen of Hearts because of my tiara, but I assured her that I'm a good princess and not an evil queen. She also asked me what color to paint the roses, and I suggested lavender. Rapunzel had two little girls who were attached to her at the hip, so I said they reminded me of Angry and Red, the two girls that she and Eugene occasionally cared for in the series, but I don't think she got the reference. She told me she was having trouble finding Pascal, and I suggested that he was probably hiding in the Easter eggs. That's where I would hide if I were a chameleon! I asked Silvermist if she knew Rani, my favorite water fairy from the original Pixie Hollow books, but she said she wasn't familiar with her. When I explained that Rani had her wings cut off to swim with the mermaids, Silvermist said that was probably why she didn't see her flying around Pixie Hollow. I also had an opportunity to tell Princess Tiana how excited I am about her upcoming show and how disappointed I am that it keeps getting delayed. She said she thinks Dr. Facilier is probably behind it.

In addition to the characters and the Easter egg hunt, there were three booths set up at the event. One was a merchandise table selling pink light-up wands, tiaras, and autograph books. Another was a Braid Bar, which was like a quick-service version of the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. They offered colorful braids, extensions, and tinsel that they embedded into guests' hair to brighten it up for the event. Finally, Once in a Wild's petting zoo had a small fenced-in area with little furry animals to pet as well as a live snake in a clear box on a table in the front. The stage area was pretty busy throughout the event with three live shows that gave two performances each. The first was Fairy Story-time, in which Tinker Bell and her sister Periwinkle recounted the story of how they met in the 2012 movie Secret of the Wings followed by an impromptu dance with the children in the audience that all the princesses participated in. The second was Once in a Wild's animal presentation that I saw when I arrived, and the third was Superhero Training with Spider-Man and Captain America.

The great thing about this event is that it also provides admission to the San Antonio Botanical Garden, so if you attend with someone who isn't that interested in hanging out with fairies and princesses, there's still plenty to do! After we finished with the Egg-stravaganza, we walked around the gardens and discovered some beautiful surprises like a model castle and a waterfall. This is an annual event, so if you're ever near San Antonio around Easter time, I highly recommend checking it out. Whether you like princesses, egg hunting, animals, or nature, it has something to offer for everyone! What's your favorite local princess event? Let me know in the comments!