Businesses join forces in annual ‘Find Waldo’ event

Where’s Waldo? In Coupeville, of course!

July 5, 2024 1:30 am

Where’s Waldo? In Coupeville, of course!

Celebrating its 12th anniversary, 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 310 independent bookstores nationwide, including Kingfisher Bookstore, 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 for the entire month of July.

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 25 businesses and organizations throughout the town, including Ebey’s Landing National Reserve Visitor’s Center, Rainshadow Nursery, Prairie Center Market, Island County Museum and plenty of businesses on Front Street and at the Wharf. Find Waldo Local is a wonderful way to support the Shop Local movement by increasing foot traffic to a variety of stores.

“We all look forward to the Waldo hunt every year. It’s a fun way for us to celebrate the wonderful diversity of businesses in our community and welcome everyone to check them all out,” Kingfisher Bookstore owner Meg Olson said.

To join in the fun, people can simply pick up a “Find Waldo Local in Coupeville!” stamp card at any of the participating businesses. With each miniature Waldo they spot, searchers get their card stamped by the participating business. Eagle-eyed hunters can also look for Waldo’s special 2024 gold medal and his hat hidden in Kingfisher Bookstore.

Collecting store stamps or signatures at 20 or more businesses will entitle diligent seekers entry into a grand-prize drawing for Waldo books and other prizes donated by participating businesses. All participants are welcome to attend the celebration party at 11 a.m. on Aug. 11 at Kingfisher Bookstore.

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 30 languages.

For more information about hunting for Waldo in Coupeville, call Kingfisher Bookstore 360-678-8463. To see a map of all participating stores, visit indiebound.org.