As many as 20 local businesses have hidden miniature cardboard cut-outs of Waldo – from the children’s activity book “Where’s Waldo” – for customers to seek out, as part of the Imaginary Bookshops’ participation in a nationwide “Shop Local” event.

Find Waldo, which kicked off at the start of the month and will continue through July 28, encourages participants to find 10, six-inch Waldo cardboard cutouts, scattered throughout the community (there are at least 20 hidden). Scorecards can be picked up at participating locations, each of which will have a Waldo window cling. Some of those businesses include Greenfield Games, Ice Cream Alley, Alchemy of Avalon, Historical Society of Greenfield, Looky Here and Apt. 1, among others. 

“We really like doing any kind of event that helps bring people through the shops downtown, and this is a really great way of doing that,” said Bill “Bubba” Sadowski, one of the owners Greenfield Games at 238 Main St. 

Imaginary Bookshop Co-owner Crista DeRicco explained the community-wide activity is part of a nationwide “Shop Local” event co-sponsored by Candlewick Press and the American Booksellers Association. 

“The Imaginary Bookshop is always looking for interesting ways to do events that include the downtown business and organization community and offer a fun and weird thing for families to do,” said DeRicco. 

The first 100 people who complete the challenge can return their scorecards to the bookshop, where they’ll be eligible to claim a Waldo prize bag, which includes a temporary tattoo and a coupon for $1 off any in-store Waldo book.

The month-long search for Waldo will culminate with a Waldo Party on July 29 from noon to 1 p.m. at Imaginary Bookshop at 365 Main St. According to Ricco, there will be snacks, a Waldo costume contest and, for those who submitted scorecards, a drawing for a deluxe set of Waldo books and other raffle prizes.

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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