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Ugly Christmas Sweater Scavenger Hunt adds new dimension to Winter Lights Festival

New this year the downtown merchants are hosting an Ugly Christmas Sweater Scavenger Hunt as part of the WLCBIA’s Winter Lights Festival.

New this year the downtown merchants are hosting an Ugly Christmas Sweater Scavenger Hunt as part of the WLCBIA’s Winter Lights Festival coming up this weekend.

“We at the WLCBIA are very excited to see the how quickly the scavenger hunters can solve the clues, find the stores, and then assemble their works of sweater art,” says co-ordinator Kate Lines.

“We are especially looking forward to seeing the scavenger hunters in the Santa Parade wearing their Ugly Christmas Sweater creations!”

How it works

A total of 41 clues will be included in information on the hunt that will be in the Winter Lights Festival booklet that became available Dec. 1 at the BIA office and with local merchants.

The actual hunt runs from 2 to 7 p.m. only on Friday, Dec. 4.

Each clue leads the hunter to one of the 41 participating merchants.

When hunters arrive at a store, the merchant will sign, or stamp, the space beside the clue in their Winter Lights information booklet.

After that, the merchant will give the hunter a bag with one ugly item for their sweater, and another fun gift item.

After solving all of the clues and collecting items to decorate their sweaters participants will take their goodies and sweaters to the assembly station located at 370 Proctor Street beside Red Tomato Pies.

Hunters must provide their own sweater, but Lines says some free sweaters will also be available at the assembly station.

The assembly station will be open until 9 p.m.

Prizes for the three most ugly sweaters will be awarded.

“Once scavenger hunt participants have finished decorating their sweaters with the 41 ugly items they received from downtown merchants, they can wear them with pride and even dance in them as the local band Perfect Match performs at 370 Proctor from 7 to 9 p.m.,” Line’s says.

She says all scavenger hunt participants are invited to wear their ugly Christmas sweaters in the Santa Parade the next day, Saturday, Dec. 5 that runs from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. through the downtown core.

The muster station is located along Fourth Avenue between Procter and Cameron Streets.