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Date: 10/6/2023
HOLYOKE — In a celebration of the Paper City’s 150th anniversary the Holyoke Preservation Trust has begun a citywide “Key to the City” Scavenger Hunt.
The scavenger hunt is open from Sept. 30 until Oct. 22 and challenges adventurers of all ages to explore the city of Holyoke’s historic downtown streets, serene parks and architectural gems they may have overlooked. It features 14 destinations within the city and to get started on the first location, visit https://www.holyokepreservationtrust.org/.
At each location hunters will need to take a photograph of themselves, or a of a consistent item such as a stuffed animal, a stapler, or other creative ideas in the same idea according to the rules of the game. These photos must be submitted on the Keys to the City website as proof of clues solved and having traveled to all 14 destinations. If able to complete the scavenger hunt, participants will receive their own “Key to the City.”
Prizes of $100 will be awarded over four categories. The Trailblazer Award will go to the first citizen to successfully solve all of the clues and submit their photographs, the Visionary Lens Award for highest-quality photos, the Whimsy and Wonder Award for the most creative photographs and the You and Me Award for the best photographs submitted by an adult/youth team.
Midnight on Sunday, Oct. 22 is the deadline to submit photographs to the Key of the City Committee.
Holyoke Preservation Trust board member and Ward 7 City Council candidate Meg Magrath-Smith told Reminder Publishing she has been eyeing a citywide scavenger hunt as an activity for a few years now.
“I really like fun energetic things that get people out and about and scrambling to find things around the city. I think it just creates so much energy and its fun and we need to keep advertising ways for folks who live in Holyoke to engage with their community in a really fun way, but also learn about it,” Magrath-Smith said. “It’s supposed to be fun. You get to run out in the city, solve all these clues and riddles, learn on the way and get to go to sites you’ve never gone to.”
She added on the Preservation Trust they are always focused on how people can connect with the city’s history they care for so much. She credited her colleagues and Bob Comeau for his efforts in helping create the scavenger hunt.
Magrath-Smith said the 14 locations end up as a nice balance of the different elements of the city’s history throughout the years. She added there are QR codes at each location as well that will provide more information regarding the site it is found at.
For advice, she said to avoid starting your hunt on a Sunday if possible, as one of the early locations of the game does not have access available to the public on that day. She also recommends people try the activity with one or more people if they can for a fun collaborative challenge exploring Holyoke.
On Saturday, Oct. 28 at 1 p.m., all community members who have completed the Key to the City contest are invited to join a closing ceremony on the steps of City Hall where they can be awarded a “Key to the City” by Mayor Joshua Garcia, and the option for a tour of City Hall. You do not need to be present to receive an award, though all award winners will be announced during the brief ceremony.
Magrath-Smith thanked and credited the Mayor’s Office, the 150th Events Committee and the many others involved and volunteering in this project coinciding with the city’s 150th anniversary. She added she hopes the challenge can pick up interest within the community.
“I hope people really start getting into it because I think it could be such a fun collaborative community experience,” Magrath-Smith said.