Find Waldo in Downtown Chelan

Where’s Waldo?

by Loni Rahm

The familiar bespeckled character, with his distinctive red & white striped shirt and hat, is hiding at 25 local businesses in Chelan.

This July, independent booksellers in 250 communities throughout the United States are joining together in a coast-to-coast celebration of the iconic children’s book character through the 7th Annual Find Waldo Local program.

The month-long shop local campaign, which is co-sponsored by Candlewick Press and the American Booksellers Association, draws customers to small businesses in communities around the country on scavenger hunts to find Waldo.

Libby Manthey of Riverwalk Books said Chelan attracts between 450-500 “Waldo Searchers” each year, including the family visiting from the Seattle area pictured above. The bookstore serves as Official Find Waldo Local Headquarters, dispensing passports and prizes to successful searchers.

Searchers must locate Waldo in one or more of the 25 participating stores and businesses in downtown Chelan, and get a stamp or signature in the corresponding square. Searchers with at least 10 different store stamps or signatures can bring their passport to Riverwalk Books to claim an “I Found Waldo” button*.

Searchers who collect at least 20 of the 25 store stamps, can bring in their passport to the bookstore to claim their button* and be entered into prize drawings, with the grand prize drawing held on July 31st.

The searchers are easy to spot inside the stores. They are the ones studying shelves and staring intently at displays hoping for a glimpse of the illusive Waldo.

Although Waldo has proven to be surprisingly nimble in his hide-and-seek skills, perseverance continues to pay off for hundreds of searchers each year.