Where’s Waldo? In Danville of course! The iconic children’s book character in the red-and-white-striped shirt and black-rimmed specs is visiting 24 local businesses throughout Danville this July. The event kicks off on Friday.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2022, Find Waldo Local is a great summer vacation activity and a wonderful way to support businesses in Danville’s historic downtown shopping district.

Anyone who wishes to participate can pick up a “Find Waldo Local” stamp card from Plaid Elephant Books, which contains the names of all the participating sites. With each Waldo they spot, they can get their card stamped or signed by the participating shop. Collecting store stamps or signatures at 20 or more businesses will entitle diligent seekers entry into a grand-prize drawing for Waldo books and paraphernalia. Smaller prizes are available along the way to keep Waldo hunters motivated!

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. More than 78 million Waldo books have been sold worldwide, and they’ve been translated into over thirty languages. An entire generation has grown up searching for Waldo.

Plaid Elephant Books in Danville was selected by Candlewick Press to be one of 300 independent bookstores nationwide to host a Waldo hunt in their town. “I am delighted to be chosen as a participating store,” said shop owner and founder Kate Snyder. “Danville is the perfect location for this sort of community-minded fun. Local businesses were eager to participate and it’s a great way to explore downtown.”

There is no charge to participate, and the hunt lasts for the entire month of July. The grand prize drawing will be held on July 30 at Plaid Elephant Books. For more information about hunting for Waldo in Danville, contact Kate Snyder at kate@plaidelephantbooks.com or call the shop at 859.449.2010.

2022 Participating Find Waldo Locations:

Plaid Elephant Books, Front Porch CBD, CAMP LLC, Derby Shoppe and Raggs, Art Center of the Bluegrass, Hearth & Easel, Tut’s, Shake It, Elmwood Inn Fine Teas, The Studio, Dry Stack Coffee, CentreWorks, Bluegrass & Buttercream, Cerci on Main, Maple Tree Gallery, The Hub Coffee House & Café, Centre College Bookstore, Carol’s Bridal, A & L Accessories, Full Circle Fitness, Harvey’s, Anderson’s Lifestyle Boutique, Bran’s Boutique, the Boyle County Public Library.