Everyone’s wondering ... Where’s Waldo?

HARLEM VALLEY — Waldo is popping up everywhere this month. The famous children’s book character turns 25 this year. For the Where’s Waldo 25th anniversary, Candlewick Press is throwing a celebration for the man in stripes across the country throughout the month of July.

Merritt Bookstore in Millbrook and Oblong Books & Music in Millerton and Rhinebeck are participating in the celebration along with other merchants.

“In each store they put in a tiny little Waldo, then children go in and they find Waldo,” said Sara Gagnon of Merritt Bookstore. “Once they find that Waldo, they get a ticket from that store saying they found Waldo at that store and then they come to the Merritt Bookstore and hand [the tickets] in for different prizes and different entries into raffles.”

There are 24 businesses in Millbrook participating in the Waldo celebration. With four Waldo tickets, children can receive a small Waldo prize, with eight Waldo tickets they can get a raffle entry. Twelve tickets earns participants a second raffle entry; 16 Waldo tickets scores children a grab-bag book; and 24 Waldo tickets gains them entrance into the grand-prize drawing.

Locke King from Oblong Books & Music said businesses in Millerton were thrilled to participate in the event.

“I was happy because when I was going around in the beginning I was a little reticent,” King said. “I didn’t know if shops with delicate merchandise would be keen on young children coming in and looking around their shops for a little Waldo. Gilmor Glass and Hunter Bee have very delicate merchandise, but they were more than thrilled right off the bat to do it.

On Friday, July 31, Merritt Bookstore and Oblong Books & Music will host parties in their respective stores to wrap up their Where’s Waldo celebrations. Merritt Bookstore has invited community members to the store for the raffle drawings. Gagnon said many local businesses donated gift certificates, which will be raffled off along with books, toys and other prizes.

Oblong Books & Music’s party will be from 4 to 6 p.m. and will also include raffle drawings. King hopes to get Oblong employees to dress in Waldo’s classic attire.

“I think it’s a great event because for one it gets the community involved,” Gagnon said. “It gets people out to local businesses in the town. Waldo is something everyone can relate to; everyone has seen the books no matter who you are, so that’s why we thought it would be great.”

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