A downtown tradition returns
Woodstock’s Legend of the Pickle scavenger hunt is set to return Saturday after taking a break last year, giving residents and visitors another reason to visit the city’s downtown businesses during the holiday shopping season.
The relaunch is scheduled for Nov. 14, with a kickoff from noon to 2 p.m. on the patio at Squire on the Square. The date also marks National Pickle Day, according to Amy Humbracht, executive director of the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The event is built around a simple search. Participants receive a play card and visit businesses taking part in the hunt, looking for hidden ornamental pickles. Once they have found the required number, they can return the completed card to the chamber for a chance to win prizes.
Businesses invited to join the promotion
Restaurants and bars have been invited to create pickle-themed menu items during the hunt, adding a food component to the activity and giving participating establishments another way to draw customers. The chamber said the hunt will continue through Dec. 7, allowing people several weeks to take part rather than limiting participation to the launch event.
Play cards will be available at Saturday’s kickoff and afterward at the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry office inside the Old Courthouse. The chamber is also encouraging people to visit local businesses as they work through the challenge, making the activity a walking tour of sorts through the city’s commercial district.
“That’s a BIG dill!”
The phrase comes from the chamber’s effort to highlight Woodstock’s connection to Claussen Pickles. City officials are emphasizing that the Claussen factory has been in Woodstock for 50 years and that, according to the chamber, all Claussen pickles made for the U.S. are produced there. Mayor Mike Turner is expected to issue a proclamation naming Woodstock “America’s Pickle Town,” while city council has already issued a symbolic proclamation using the same title.
Prizes and participation
Claussen is the presenting sponsor of the kickoff and is sponsoring the main prizes. The chamber said participants may win a 55-inch Samsung television, a Sony PlayStation Portal or a Galaxy Tab A11+. Everyone who completes the scavenger hunt will receive a Legend of the Pickle ornament, with the prize winners to be announced before the holidays.
- Kickoff: Saturday, Nov. 14, from noon to 2 p.m.
- Location: Squire on the Square patio
- Play card pickup: The kickoff event or the chamber office inside the Old Courthouse
- Final day to participate: Dec. 7
- Early giveaway: Free Claussen pickles for the first 200 families
The first 200 families attending Saturday’s launch will receive free Claussen pickles, according to the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Organizers are using the event to connect the city’s industrial history with a seasonal downtown activity, while giving participating businesses a shared promotion that can run beyond the opening weekend.
| Event detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Scavenger hunt period | Nov. 14 to Dec. 7 |
| Completion reward | Legend of the Pickle ornament |
| Sponsored prizes | Television, gaming device and tablet |
Kraft Heinz, Claussen’s parent company, did not respond to a request for comment. The event information was provided by the chamber, which is coordinating the kickoff and the distribution of play cards.
