If you feel spring coming and are itching for some green, the Farmers’ Market organizers think they have an answer for you—their first St. Patrick’s Day scavenger hunt, to be held Saturday, March 14.
“We want to raise money to cover the market’s insurance cost and other operation expenses and offer the community something at the same time,” said Rochelle Greayer, one of the five market organizers.
The hunt, open to those age 21 or older, will offer teams a chance locate places, find objects, and solve puzzles, all chosen to be fun and challenging. After the three-hour hunt, teams can celebrate their success with prizes, an hour of pool at the Billiard’s Café in Ayer, live music by Bare Hill Band, and a slide show of the afternoon’s antics.
The rules are simple: a team can be made up of as many people as will legally fit in the team’s vehicle. Two friends in a sports car or a baseball team in a van—everyone is invited. No stealing allowed—except from other teams. Each team will need a digital camera with a USB cable to record its finds and share photos. Team make-up offers many interesting possibilities. Can Harvard’s firefighters best Ayer’s? The selectmen have been scrambling for green lately; would they have an edge?
The planners can’t go on the hunt, but are having their share of the fun coming up with a scavenger list to surprise everyone. Each item on the “top secret” list has been given a point value, to help teams in strategizing and prioritizing their quests. Greayer says that she and the other four organizers are the only ones in the know and are taking steps to make sure the list remains hush-hush. They aren’t even using e-mail to exchange ideas. “We whisper to each other and have one written list,” said Greayer.
Hint: if you’ve been saving that didgeridoo in the attic for just such a scavenger hunt, it had better be a green one.
According to Greayer, organizers hope the event will raise enough money over operating expenses to subsidize a few small vendors who want to participate in the market but whose sales are not enough to cover the cost of a weekly spot.
The pre-registration fee for each participant is $20 until March 13 or $25 the day of the event. A registration form and details about the event can be found on the Farmers’ Market website, www.Harvardfarmersmarket.com.