MOUNT VERNON— Where’s Waldo? In Mount Vernon, of course! The famous children’s book character in the striped shirt and black-rimmed specs is returning to twenty-four local businesses throughout the community this July. Find Waldo Local is a great summer vacation activity and a wonderful way to support local businesses and the Shop Local movement.
Anyone who wishes to participate can pick up a “Find Waldo Local in Mount Vernon” passport, which contains the names of all the participating sites, and get their passport stamped or signed for each Waldo they spot. Collecting store stamps or signatures at ten businesses will earn seekers a Waldo pin and coupon for $1 off Waldo books. Collecting store stamps or signatures at twenty or more businesses will entitle diligent seekers entry into a grand-prize drawing on Friday, July 29, which includes many Waldo books and prizes donated by participating businesses. This year, participants can also #ColorWaldoAndWin: when they share a completed coloring sheet of Waldo on Instagram, they’ll be entered into a drawing to be one of five lucky winners of a deluxe prize pack.
Waldo is the creation of Martin Handford, whose entertaining drawings of crowd scenes swept the world in the late eighties. Since then, the Where’s Waldo? books have held a cherished spot on bookstore shelves the world over. There are now over 65 million Waldo books in print worldwide, and they’ve been translated into over thirty languages. An entire generation has grown up searching for Waldo and his cast of wandering companions.
In celebration of Waldo’s longevity and popularity, his American publisher, Candlewick Press, is once again teaming up with the American Booksellers Association and two hundred and fifty independent bookstores across the country for some hide-and-seek fun to encourage communities to patronize their local businesses. There is no charge to participate, and the hunt lasts for the entire month of July.
For more information about hunting for Waldo in Mount Vernon call Paragraphs Bookstore at 740-392-9290.
Knox Community Hospital proudly supports the vibrant pulse of our community by sponsoring the Life & Culture section on Knox Pages, celebrating the stories and experiences that make our region unique.