Sometimes the best adventures aren’t miles away. Sometimes they’re hidden inside the businesses you’ve driven past for years.
This July, the City of Montague Downtown Development Authority is inviting residents and visitors to experience downtown in a different way through its first Downtown Scavenger Hunt. From July 13 through July 25, participants will have the chance to explore local businesses, hunt for hidden weather vanes, and discover something new while supporting downtown merchants.
Participants will search for hidden weather vanes displayed inside participating businesses throughout downtown Montague. At each stop, they’ll have their scavenger hunt card signed by an employee before continuing to the next location.
This miniature weather vane is the key to the hunt. Find it inside each participating business and collect a signature as you explore downtown Montague.
While the scavenger hunt offers the excitement of prizes, organizers say the bigger goal is helping people slow down and experience everything downtown has to offer.
Rather than simply passing through, visitors are encouraged to step inside local shops, browse businesses they may have never visited before, and meet the people who help make downtown Montague unique.
The idea grew out of conversations about finding new ways to bring people into local businesses during one of the busiest times of the year. With summer visitors, community events, and Walk the Beat drawing people downtown, organizers saw an opportunity to create an activity that benefits both families looking for something fun to do and the small businesses that make downtown special.
More than a dozen businesses are participating in this year’s scavenger hunt, including Busy Bee Cafe, C’s Ice Cream, North Grove Brewers, The Groove Record Shop, Stoney Ridge Winery, The Weathervane Inn, The Wicker Chicken, Payne’s Interior Design, and several Artisan Market vendors, giving participants plenty of opportunities to discover something new along the way.
The scavenger hunt is free to participate in.
Completed cards returned by July 25 will be entered into the grand prize drawing, while incomplete cards are still eligible for one of five mini prize drawings, giving everyone a chance to win whether they finish every stop or not. Participants simply need to provide their contact information on the back of the card before returning it to the final business that signs their card.
The Downtown Montague Scavenger Hunt card features participating businesses and the rules for the hunt. Participants who return completed cards by July 25 will be entered into the grand prize drawing, while incomplete cards are eligible for one of five mini prize drawings.
For families, it offers an inexpensive summer activity. For visitors, it’s another reason to spend an afternoon exploring Montague. And for downtown businesses, it’s an opportunity to welcome new faces through their doors.
If the scavenger hunt succeeds, it won’t just be because prizes were awarded.
It will be because someone found a favorite bookstore they didn’t know existed. A family stopped for ice cream after discovering a hidden weather vane. A visitor wandered into a small business they otherwise would have walked right past.
Sometimes building a stronger downtown starts with something as simple as giving people a reason to step inside.
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