Where’s Waldo? In Washington, DC, of course! The iconic children’s book character in the red-and-white-striped shirt and black-rimmed specs is visiting eighteen local businesses throughout our community this July. Find Waldo Local is a free, family-friendly summer activity and a wonderful way to support local businesses, including The Wydown, Craft Beer Cellar, Miss Pixie’s, and Studio Theatre.

Anyone who wishes to participate can pick up a “Find Waldo Local in Washington, DC!” stamp card, 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. Waldo has also misplaced his glasses in Solid State Books on H St, so eagle-eyed hunters can find those as well! Collecting store stamps or signatures at twenty or more businesses will entitle diligent seekers entry into a grand-prize drawing for Waldo books and paraphernalia.  

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 80 million Waldo books have been sold worldwide, and they’ve been translated into over thirty languages.

Once again, in celebration of Waldo’s longevity and popularity, Candlewick Press is teaming up with the American Booksellers Association and hundreds of independent bookstores nationwide for some hide-and-seek fun designed to encourage residents to patronize their local businesses. There is no charge to participate, and the hunt lasts for the entire month of July.