Scavenger hunt around downtown

By Lorenzo Gavilan Vargas Times Reporter

Booking It Around Strathmore is a community scavenger hunt put on by the Strathmore Municipal Library this August and is designed to incorporate downtown businesses.

Participants will be given a sheet of paper at the library which will contain hints as to which business to visit. Participating businesses will have posters with book covers on the front window. After figuring out which business is being described in the hint, you walk to the business and write down the name of the book displayed in the window and the name of the business. 

All participating businesses are within walking distance of the library, according to the scavenger hunt organizer and library staff member Olivia Reardon.

“Businesses don’t have to be open all the time; they can just put the poster in their front window so people can see it [even] when they’re closed,” she said.

Reardon says she planned the event as something fun for people to do, but that some businesses are taking an extra step.

“It’s free for everyone, it’s free for the businesses, it’s free for the participants. But some of the businesses are offering a little coupon. So at the end, when you hand in your booklet, the participants will get a little coupon book from local businesses,” she said. “Everybody’s been so generous with what they’re willing to give to our patrons. It’s pretty exciting.”

Reardon says previous scavenger hunts were the inspiration for Booking It Around Strathmore.

“Families just seem to really love it. They love coming out and getting outside and exploring and doing fun things,” said Reardon. “I thought this year, since we are now reopening all of our businesses, we may as well do a little one involving all the businesses downtown.”

According to Reardon, she is hoping to get “as many businesses as possible” to sign up for Booking It. The hunt will last for two weeks, starting on Aug. 7.