Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Individuals and families can take part in a fun scavenger hunt to “Find Waldo” that kicks off this weekend in downtown Brighton.

Find Waldo Local has become a beloved summertime event in communities nationwide. This year, Candlewick Press and the American Booksellers Association are again teaming up with 325 independent bookstores nationwide, including 2 Dandelions Bookshop, for some hide-and-seek fun designed to encourage residents to patronize their local businesses.

There is no charge to participate, and the hunt lasts from this Saturday through Saturday, August 2nd.

Families love joining the scavenger hunt to find the iconic children’s book character, with his red-and-white-striped shirt and black glasses, hidden in 30 local businesses, including Oh My Lolli, Brighton Coffeehouse & Theater, Wallflower Mercantile, and more.

Find Waldo Local serves as a way to support the “Shop Local” movement by increasing foot traffic to a variety of stores.

2 Dandelions Event Coordinator Kelly Blazo said “we had so much fun last year watching all the families spend time visiting our Main Street businesses and finding Waldo. Each time we host an event that gets people downtown we hear from families about how they have discovered new places to shop and dine. We look forward to another successful hunt!”

Blazo told WHMI Candlewick is the publisher of the books and towns all across America will be searching for Waldo this summer. She said last year’s event was very well received and businesses have a lot of fun with it. Blazo said this marks their second year participating and it’s a great way to get the family and people out to explore downtown Brighton and maybe discover a new shop or restaurant to patronize.

To join in the fun, people can simply pick up a “Find Waldo Local in Brighton!” stamp card at 2 Dandelions Bookshop. With each miniature Waldo they spot, searchers get their card stamped or signed by the participating shop. Collecting store stamps or signatures at 25 or more businesses will entitle diligent seekers entry into a grand-prize drawing for Waldo books and other prizes, including donations from participating businesses.

All participants are welcome to attend the celebration party at 2 Dandelions at 2pm on Saturday, August 2nd.

Martin Handford’s collections of crowd scenes took the world by storm in the late 1980s, and since then the books have held a cherished place on bookstore shelves, in family libraries, and in classrooms around the world. More than 80 million Waldo books have been sold worldwide, and they’ve been translated into over thirty languages.

For more information about hunting for Waldo in Brighton, call 2 Dandelions at (810) 522.5310. To see a map of all participating stores, visit the top provided link.