Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty Images

President Obama helps a young participant during during the 134th annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House last year.

Famous athletes, celebrity chefs and a pint-sized president will all be part of the festivities on Monday when President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host the 135^th annual White House Easter Egg Roll.

A crowd of 35,000 representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia is expected on the South Lawn for the largest annual public event at the White House. A special guest will be Robby Novak, better known as Kid President, the 9-year-old YouTube sensation from Tennessee whose stated mission is to make the world less boring. Novak helped film a promotional video for the White House earlier this year to let his peers know about the Easter Egg Roll.

In addition to rolling Easter eggs on the lawn, there will be live music, sports instruction, cooking stations and storytelling. “American Idol’’ stars Jordin Sparks and Jessica Sanchez headline the group of musical performers, while those handling storytelling duties for the children will include NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson, Oscar-nominated child actress Quvenzhane Wallis and characters from Sesame Street.

Food Network stars Ann Burrell and Ina Garten will be among those cooking up tasty and healthy eats for the attendees, and a host of professional athletes will be on hand to teach kids fun ways to stay fit as part of this year’s theme of “Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You!”  There also will be a “Yoga Garden’’ for children.

More than 300,000 tickets were requested from people from across the nation, and a lottery was used to determine the 35,000 recipients of invitations, according to the White House. The White House seemed to hint that the annual event was in jeopardy of being canceled earlier this month, due to spending cuts, but quickly shot down that speculation and confirmed the celebration would go on as scheduled.

This year’s souvenir Easter eggs will come in purple, blue, yellow and pink, bearing the signatures of the President and First Lady. There also will be a commemorative teal egg available with a paw print of Bo, the Obama family’s dog.

Read more: 

Kid President helps President Obama spread word about White House 'Egg Roll' 

Bo hunts Easter eggs for White House Egg Roll

White House: Sequester won't stop Easter Egg Roll

TODAY

White House spokesman Jay Carney has assured that the 135th annual White House Easter Egg Roll on April 1 will go on as planned despite a memo last week indicating it could possible be cancelled due to looming spending cuts.

The looming sequester crisis will not stop the Easter Bunny from visiting the White House for the 135th straight year. 

The annual White House Easter Egg Roll, hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, will go on as planned on April 1 this year after a memo sent out by the White House last week indicated it could potentially be cancelled due to spending cuts. White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters on Tuesday that the event is still on. 

"I just want to be clear that we are currently planning to proceed with the Easter Egg Roll," he said. "Because we distributed tickets to the Easter Egg Roll far in advance of the actual event, we alerted all ticket holders that this event is subject to cancellation due to funding uncertainty, including the possibility of a government shutdown." 

The event on the White House's South Lawn is expected to attract 35,000 people who won tickets via a lottery system. In the White House invitation sent out last week, it notes that “by using these tickets, guests are acknowledging that this event is subject to cancellation due to funding uncertainty surrounding the Executive Office of the President and other federal agencies. If cancelled, the event will not be re-scheduled.  We will notify you if there are any modifications to this event.”

"Again, the language that got attention on the Hill and was reported duly by the press was prepared well in advance, and it had to do with the potential for at least the possibility of a government shutdown should there not be a resolution on the continuing resolution,'' Carney said. "It was not about sequester principally.

"So having said that, I want to be clear that because it certainly looks like there is progress being made, and nobody expects a government shutdown, that we have every expectation that the Easter Egg Roll will proceed as planned.  I hope that settles the matter."

That led to speculation that the event would be a victim of spending cuts if a resolution is not reached to prevent a federal government shutdown. Carney had previously reassured a crowd last week that the Easter Egg Roll would go off as planned. 

The White House seemed certain that the event would survive when it released a promotional video on Monday of the Obamas' dog, Bo, prowling for Easter eggs on the White House lawn. 

More: 

Could sequester shut down White House Easter Egg Roll? 

Bo hunts for White House Easter Eggs

Kid President helps Obama spread the word about Easter Egg Roll

This story was originally published on Tue Mar 19, 2013 1:53 PM EDT

Could politics shut down the White House Easter Egg Roll?

The annual event, along the same lines as the hokey White House tradition of the Thanksgiving Turkey pardon, will celebrate its 135th anniversary this year — unless the partisan battle over the sequester gets in the way.

A memo released by the White House last week is causing a stir, as it seems to hint that the sequester could shut down the Egg Roll.

The White House invitation to the event, which went out to all members of Congress, notes that “by using these tickets, guests are acknowledging that this event is subject to cancellation due to funding uncertainty surrounding the Executive Office of the President and other federal agencies. If cancelled, the event will not be re-scheduled.  We will notify you if there are any modifications to this event.”

More than 35,000 people are expected at the festivities on the South Lawn. The 2013 souvenir eggs come in purple, blue, yellow and pink and include the stamped figures of the president and first lady, according to the White House website. The five-pack "Collector’s Egg Set" also includes a commemorative “Bo” egg; commemorative eggs become part of the tradition in 1981, under President Reagan.  

But if you’re a Congressperson — or one of the lucky regular folks who won a ticket via the lottery system to the 2013 Easter Egg Roll on April 1 — you can breathe a sigh of relief.

A staffer at the White House Office of Legislative Affairs told TODAY.com on Monday that a cancellation of the event is unlikely.

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” he said.

On Monday, the White House seemed to anticipate that the Egg Roll would go off without a hitch, as it released a promotional video of Bo Obama hunting for Easter eggs on the White House lawn.

Press Secretary Jay Carney also reassured a crowd last week that the event would happen as scheduled.

More: Bo hunts for White House Easter Eggs

Kid President helps Obama spread the word about Easter Egg Roll

This story was originally published on Mon Mar 18, 2013 6:52 PM EDT

The Obamas' youngest family member is on an important mission — to find Easter eggs!

To get folks into the pastel-hued spirit, the White House has released a video of America's favorite pup, Bo, scouring the South Lawn for official White House eggs in honor of the upcoming White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, April 1.

More than 35,000 attendees will get the chance to join the first family in search of blue, purple, pink and yellow souvenir eggs tagged with the president and first lady's signatures.

Also on the agenda: Games, stories, recipes and exercises to celebrate Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign. 

White House / YouTube

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White House / YouTube

When President Obama wants the attention of the nation's kids, he knows exactly who to turn to: Kid President.

In a promotional video for the upcoming White House Easter Egg Roll, the president calls on Kid President Robby Novak to inform his peers about the event. 

9-year-old Novak gained national attention — even paying a visit to TODAY — for his series of YouTube videos, in which he portrays a Kid President whose aim is to make the world less boring.

According to Recreation.gov, the White House Easter Egg Roll is a tradition dating back to 1878 and has grown to become the largest event held on White House grounds. The Egg Roll not only includes the tradition of having children roll eggs on the White House lawn, but now also features live entertainment, sporting events and interactive cooking demonstrations. 

The free tickets for the White House Easter Egg Roll will be given out through an online lottery system which opened Monday morning. The lottery closes Feb. 25 at 10 a.m.

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Every family has holiday traditions, but it’s a whole different story when you celebrate in the White House.

TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager knows first-hand what it’s like to spend the holidays at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Last month she sat down with Michelle Obama to get a glimpse into how the current White House occupants celebrate this season. 

“This is the most special time to be in the White House, and one of the things I really love is that it’s the one time of the year when we really open the White House,’’ Obama said. “We have thousands and thousands of visitors just streaming through every day. Everything looks great. The smells are magnificent. I feel very blessed to be able to be here during these times.’’

On Thursday at 8 p.m., NBC will air "A White House Christmas: First Families Remember,'' as former presidential families look back at their experiences. "During the holidays, it really is magical,'' Hager told TODAY's Savannah Guthrie. 

TODAY

TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager can remember her grandfather, George H.W. Bush, reading 'Night Before Christmas' to her and her siblings and cousins every year at the White House.

The first lady said her role during the holidays is to be “hostess-in-chief,’’ which includes welcoming some important guests.

“One of the things that’s really special for us is really being able to turn a spotlight onto our military families, which is something that we try to do every year through the holidays,’’ she said. “I just try to remember that this is the time when the White House is truly the people’s house.’’

The president also takes a backseat to the true star of the family during the holidays — Bo, the family’s Portuguese water dog. Bo is featured on this year’s official White House holiday card.

TODAY

The Obamas always try to work their beloved Portuguese water dog Bo into their holiday themes, including the cover of the White House holiday card this year.

“We always find a way to incorporate Bo into our Christmas themes,’’ Obama said. “Bo is the most popular member of our family. The president is clear on it. There are times when people recognize Bo, and they don’t even see him.’’

Read: Bo-Ho-Ho! First dog inspects White House holiday decorations

The Obamas will actually spend Christmas some 5,000 miles away from the White House in Hawaii, where the president grew up and attended high school.

“We go out there, and we spend time with friends and family,’’ she said. “That tends to be our gift to each other, the president and I. We don’t exchange gifts. We say, ‘We’re in Hawaii. Merry Christmas.’’’

TODAY

TODAY's Jenna Bush Hager also was able to experience putting the star on top of the National Christmas Tree with her grandmother, Barbara Bush.

One of the family traditions is a Christmas talent show involving the children — and the adults.

“Everyone has to participate, whether it’s singing or reading a poem,’’ Obama said. “The kids will construct a play of some sort, or we’ll sing Christmas carols.’’

The first lady declined to reveal the nature of her performance in this year's show.

“I wouldn’t disclose it to the public,’’ she joked. “It would give me a great disadvantage.’’

She did reveal the contents of the holiday meal: “There's turkey, there’s string beans and stuffing, a little mac and cheese,’’ she said. “This is a time when I throw ‘Let's Move’ out the window for a moment, and get that mac and cheese. Everybody deserves their mac and cheese.”

After the frenetic pace of the election, the family is looking forward to spending some time together with the understanding that the president’s job could take him away at any time.

TODAY

Just like the Obamas, it was all about family for Jenna Bush Hager (at right) during holiday time at the White House during the two presidential terms of her father, George W. Bush.

“This job never stops,’’ Obama said. “It's a wonderful privilege. It's a blessing. We're so glad to be here for four more years. There's so much work to do, but you don't have control over where the winds blow.’’

While the White House holiday experience differs from that of the average household, the core values are still the same, the first lady said.

“That’s what you realize living here is that in the end, it’s about family,’’ she said. “It’s about friendship. No matter what we’re dealing with around the world, the holidays are a time for us to all just be together and be thankful.’’

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Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

The first family addresses the crowd as the Easter egg roll kicks off Monday.

Updated 4/9 at 11:17 a.m. ET

For the kiddie set, it is the hottest ticket in Washington.

The 2012 White House Easter Egg Roll kicked off Monday, as more than 30,000 people from across the nation swarmed the sprawling south lawn of the White House to look for colored eggs and bop to kid beats. In keeping with First Lady Michelle Obama’s crusade to curb childhood obesity, this year’s theme is “Let’s Go. Let’s Move. Let’s Play.”

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

The president helps a young participant roll an egg.

The lucky families who scored tickets to the White House to celebrate the season with the first family did just that.

Parents staked their spots shortly after sunrise, in lines that reached from the White House to the Ellipse. Kids decked out in pastel-hued Easter finery darted across the lush green lawn, rolling eggs with wooden spoons. 

"My job is simple," President Barack Obama said. "To introduce the powerhouse of the White House, the one who is really in charge, as Sasha, Malia and Bo already know." 

The first lady is the event's official hostess. She and her daughters all wore the colors of the fashion season: Bright jeggings and tops. 

TODAY

Al Roker joined a cast of characters Monday at the White House Easter egg roll.

"Hope you got on some comfortable shoes," the first lady said, holding up her foot. "We got ours on all of the Obamas here."

Later, the president coaxed a toddler who struggled to get her egg across the finish line with a "c'mon, baby." He high-fived another little boy for accomplishing the feat.

The president read "Where the Wild Things Are" to the assembled tots. "You guys were excellent wild things," he said. "I'm very proud of you. One more roar!" And the kids roared. 

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

The action gets underway on the south lawn.

The Easter egg roll is the largest public event the White House stages each year. 14,500 hard-boiled, dyed eggs are used. Kids 13 and under get a souvenir wooden White House Easter egg with the stamped signature of the president and first lady. 

Olympic medalists Dominique Dawes and Michelle Kwan and "The Biggest Loser" coach Bob Harper, among others, were on the lawn to lead kids in sports-based exercises aimed at showing fun ways to stay fit.

There was even a yoga garden for kids to get their om on.

Cody Simpson and Rachel Crow were on hand to perform, joining a host of characters including Elmo, Dora the Explorer, Charlie Brown and Snoopy and, of course, the Easter bunny.

Celebrity chefs Marcus Samuelsson, Pat and Gina Neely and Bryan Voltaggio whipped up healthy snacks. Julianne Moore and Forest Whitaker were chosen as star story-time readers to share springtime tales.

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TODAY.com political contributor Halimah Abdullah is the site’s woman in Washington.