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Weekender

Treasure trove: Scavenger hunt gives people opportunity to explore downtown Syracuse, win prizes

This Sunday, a scavenger hunt in Armory Square may just earn you two crisp Benjamins.

Syracuse Updowntowners, a community group that started in 1980 to bring the community together by throwing events for people of all ages, is hosting the “Take Your Shot: Picture This” photo scavenger hunt for the second year on Nov. 10 from noon-5 p.m. Participants are required to sign up in teams of two-four and pre-register online ($10 per person) or in person the day of the event ($12 per person). The winning team will be awarded $200, but other prizes will also be awarded for second and third place teams, as well as door prize drawings.

“The idea is so we can get people to look at things a little bit differently and to notice things about the community that they have maybe not noticed before,” said Ann Goehner, the chair of the event.

The rules are simple. You and your team will be given 25 photos that were taken somewhere around the Syracuse area, within a 5-mile radius of Armory Square. Take a photo of a group member in the exact location of each given photo to prove that you were there. Whichever team finds and photographs all 25 locations the quickest wins.

However, there are other ways to win a different prize. Each photograph is worth a certain number of points, based on the estimated difficulty of finding it. The team with the most number of points will also win something, such as gift certificates from local businesses.



“Even if they don’t complete all of the pictures, they still have a chance of winning something,” Goehner said.

The event not only encourages people to look at the city in a different light, but also to connect with people of Syracuse on a more personal level. For instance, if a team is trying to find a location of a photo that they do not know, Goehner said they should ask passersby on the street if they might know it.

Although the event begins at noon, registration is open until 2 p.m. the day of, said Josie Losurdo, the Syracuse Updowntowners programs director. But the photographs are handed out no earlier than noon.

Participants should meet at the Syracuse Suds Factory — located at 320 S. Clinton St. — to get their materials. Prizes will be awarded during a ceremony beginning at 6 p.m. at The Taste — at 318 E. Fayette St. For complete rules and regulations and to pre-register, visit updowntowners.com.





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