Arts & Entertainment

Dunedin Orange Festival: 'After Dark' In, QR Scavenger Hunt Out

Dunedin Orange Festival committee members eliminated the annual scavenger hunt this year, and instead extended the hours of the July 6 festival.

The Dunedin Orange Festival’s QR code scavenger hunt is canceled this year, but in its place, organizers are promoting a new After Dark portion with cocktails and live music.

Orange Festival organizers said waning interest in recent years caused them to drop the QR code scavenger hunt, which typically began several weeks before the event and offered a Apple iPad to the winner. In its inaugural year, the scavenger hunt saw more than 150 participants, a drastic difference compared to last year’s 20.

“We decided that we were going to focus our efforts in a different direction” Dan Zucker, chairman of the board for the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, said.

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This year, the committee chose to promote the inaugural Orange Fest After Dark and “really concentrate on that.”

Daytime at the festival, set for July 6, remains the same as in past years, except the activities move to Edgewater Park. The day includes family-friendly activities at the park and other locations, games (like the ever-popular dunk tank), and live music and entertainment.

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Still scheduled are the Orange Bonnet silent auction and Mojo Cook-Off, in which attendees sample and vote on their favorite pork dishes from local entries, according to the Orange Festival website. (Sea Sea Riders Restaurant is the defending Mojo Cook-Off champion.)

The fun continues into the night with After Dark festivities until 9:30 p.m.. Adults can sip cocktails and enjoy the sunset with headliner Julie Black and band.

Organizers say they will gauge the success of the newly extended hours and possibly revisit the QR code scavenger hunt.

“Once we have [After Dark] ironed out then next year we can start thinking up some new fun creative things.” Zucker said.

[This story was last updated Thursday, June 20, 2013 at 7:25 p.m.]


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