Would you like to be part of something important and meaningful — something that will truly benefit all of humanity? No? Then you should join us for the Washington Post Hunt.
The Post Hunt is a wild, sprawling three-hour contest that plays out on the streets of D.C. To compete, you’ll spend an afternoon trying to solve big, bizarre puzzles strewn around the heart of monumental Washington. You could win valuable prizes.
Q: How valuable?
A: The top prize is a choice between $2,000 in cash or a mint-condition Stradivarius violin, handcrafted in 1711 by the master himself.
Q: You’re lying, aren’t you?
A: No. But the choice is ours, not yours.
Q: What do we have to do to compete?
A. Mainly, show up. The Hunt begins at noon on Sunday, June 5, at Freedom Plaza, on Pennsylvania Avenue near 14th Street in downtown Washington. (Coordinates H-3 1/2 on the Hunt Map you’ll find on Pages 24-25 of the June 5 issue of The Washington Post Magazine). There’s a Main Stage.
Q. Can I bring my family, friends, defense attorney, etc.?
A. Yes. Team thinking is the best way to solve Hunt puzzles. Your team can be any size, but the ideal number tends to be four people.
Q: Are children allowed?
A: They’re not only allowed, they can be advantageous. Kids often think more creatively than adults. FACT: Gottfried Liebniz first won The Hunt at age 3.
Q: Is there parking?
A: There’s plenty of parking available downtown on Sundays, but we strongly recommend taking Metro. The Federal Triangle station is less than two blocks from Freedom Plaza; the Metro Center and McPherson Square stations are both within easy walking distance.
Q. What do I need to bring?
A. You absolutely must have two things: a copy of the June 5 Washington Post Magazineand a cellphone with texting capability. We also recommend a pencil with an eraser. Also, bring rain gear, if warranted. The Hunt goes on rain or shine.
Q: Is there anything I can do to prepare?
A. It will help a lot to familiarize yourself with the entire contents of the Hunt issue of the magazine. Also, you might want to review puzzles from previous Hunts and try the practice puzzles.
Q: Will there be bathrooms?
A: That depends on your definition of “bathroom.” Do you consider Pez to be “food”?
Q: No.
A: Then there will be very few bathrooms.
Q: So, porta potties.
A: Exactly.
Q: What do I do when I arrive at Freedom Plaza?
A: The first thing is to make sure your team picks up its Goody Bags, which will contain items you will need to solve the Hunt. Two bags per team, max. These will be handed out near the Main Stage.
Q: What will be in the bags?
A: The most important item will be a paint-by-number-style grid that we call — bear in mind that we are communications professionals — The Grid. You cannot solve the Hunt without it. There will also be other stuff, some of which will come in very handy and some of which is simply uoy esufnoc ot tnaem.
Q: Okay, my team has a Goody Bag. Now what?
A. Now you wait for noon, when the three creators of the Hunt — Dave Barry, Gene Weingarten and Tom Shroder — will get on stage, desperately trying to convey the impression that they have everything under control.
Loading...
Comments