On April 5th 2008, nearly 200 people took to the streets of Downtown looking for answers to clues in the inaugural Downtown Santa Rosa Puzzle Hunt. These types of participatory community games have been gaining in popularity in recent years and have been organized by others both in Santa Rosa and nationwide.
For the Downtown Puzzle Hunt event, fifty teams of mostly 3-5 people each, many attired in festive costumes, met at Depot Park in Historic Railroad Square to pick up clue packets. Throughout the afternoon participants could be seen scanning historical markers, architectural details and pieces of public art for answers to a set of 16 clues, each written as a haiku. The answers to these questions pointed to the answer of a larger metapuzzle.
We ended at 4:30 p.m. with an awards party at The Cantina near Courthouse Square.
We are now offering an ongoing chance to try your skills at this game. You can download the questions and answers as two separate documents so you can get together with your friends and try the 2008 version yourself!
Come on and explore Downtown Santa Rosa!