Where’s Waldo? He's hanging out at independent local businesses in New Orleans, of course! Waldo figures are turning up in Uptown local shops, from ice cream parlors and chocolate shops to toy stores, movie theaters and harware stores - along Prytania, Magazine and just around the corner on Laurel.
Waldo turns twenty-five this year. To celebrate, the famous fellow in the striped-shirt and black-rimmed specs, he's visiting over sixteen of your favorite local businesses all through the month of July. If you spot him, you can win prizes -- including buttons, books, and more.
Start the search by picking up your “Find Waldo” flyer at Octavia Books, July 1- 31. Each time you find Waldo at a different participating store during the month, you will collect a card showing where you found him.
Then, on Saturday, August 4 at 2PM bring your cards to the Waldo's birthday party at Octavia Books. If you found Waldo everywhere, you will be elegible for a chance at the grand-prize, a complete six-volume deluxe set of Waldo books. And everyone bringing in cards from at least 11 of Waldo's local hangouts will be eligiable to win fine prizes contributed by the participating businesses.
Here are the participating businesses:
Angelique Baby & Kids - 5519 Magazine St.
Bamboo Apothecary - 4112 Magazine St.
Basics Underneath - 5513 Magazine St
The Bead Shop - 4612 Magazine St.
Blue Frog Chocolates - 5707 Magazine St.
Clement Hardware & Variety - 6000 Magazine St.
Creole Creamery - 4924 Prytania St.
Dirty Coast - 5631 Magazine St.
Feet First - 4119 Magazine St.
Gentry - 6047 Magazine St.
Laurel Street Bakery - 5433 Laurel St..
Magic Box - 5508 Magazine St.
National Art and Hobby - 5835 Magazine St.
Octavia Books - 513 Octavia St.
PrytaniaTheatre - 5339 Prytania St.
Scriptura - 5423 Magazine St.
Waldo is the creation of Martin Handford, whose entertaining drawings of crowd scenes swept the world in 1987. Since then, the Where’s Waldo books have held a cherished spot on bookstore shelves the world over. There are now over 55 million Waldo books in print worldwide, and they’ve been translated into eighteen languages. An entire generation has grown up searching for Waldo and his cast of wandering companions.
In celebration of Waldo’s longevity and popularity, his American publisher, Candlewick Press, is teaming up with the American Booksellers Association and 250 independent bookstores all across the country -- including Octavia Books in New Orleans -- to generate fun and encourage people to visit local independent businesses. There is no charge to participate. The game lasts the entire month of July.
For more information about Finding for Waldo in Uptown New Orleans, call Octavia Books at 504-899-7323 during store hours.
