BANGOR, Maine — All month long, customers and patrons of downtown Bangor have been asking, "Where’s Waldo?"
For over a decade, the local independent bookstore The Briar Patch has been organizing "Find Waldo Local." Candlewick Press, the publisher of "Where’s Waldo?", began the program as a 25th-anniversary celebration for the beloved book series.
Owner of The Briar Patch Gibran Graham said the scavenger hunt is about discovery.
"So, Waldo is hiding in 25 different business locations throughout downtown Bangor," Graham said. "It provides an opportunity for people to get out and explore these locations."
Visiting 10 or more locations means Waldo hunters win a prize. To validate where people go, they carry passports—provided at participating locations—which employees stamp or sign.
This is true at all locations except for the Waldo at The Briar Patch’s event space on Columbia Street. The venue is often closed, but to receive a stamp for the location, participants must simply take a selfie in front of the window with Waldo inside.
Business owners and employees enjoy hiding Waldo on their shelves. The game is fun and brings many new faces into their stores.
From the beginning, Mexicali Blues has hidden the elusive stripped character. Store employee Julie Baker Leaden said they like to let patrons hunt around a little.
"We don't necessarily tell people where Waldo is," she said. "We want people to hunt for Waldo in our store, to give them a chance to get familiar with Mexicali."
But if customers are struggling, Leaden said employees do let them know if they are getting hotter or colder.
The month-long game will conclude at 4 p.m. on July 31 at the Waldo Grand Celebration located at The Briar Patch.