Nope, no crashes. And an update on my issue: I did finish the event before time ran out and 7/8 on the most recent excavation wanted you to use walkie-talkies 3 times at the dig sites in town. I never would have guessed, especially since I rushed through the explanation between tasks. I wish those conversations were available after the fact.
Anyway, the event ended and I had bought all the things leading up to the big rewards. I didn't have enough golden bunnies or tokens to buy the last level nor get the year-round ice rink which is what I really wanted. Although, when I checked the price for that, I realized there was no way that I could have had a real-life that included sleep, not digging in the virtual world, and win the grand prize.
Lesson learned, Illium. Thanks for the speedy response!