Ongoing Initiatives
Bigfoot Scavenger Hunt
Painted Bigfoot cutouts hidden across downtown Rochester NH all summer in a free family scavenger hunt with raffle prizes at local shops.
Each summer, our volunteers hide painted Bigfoot cutouts throughout the downtown area, all within safe walking distance of one another. Families follow the trail, snap photos, and discover shops and restaurants along the way.
What started as a quirky idea has become downtown Rochester’s most famous summer tradition. The hunt has grown every year, and whole Bigfoot families can now be spotted around downtown. Local sponsors keep it free for everyone.
How a summer works
Volunteers build and paint the cutouts in the spring, then place them at public spots within an easy family walk of one another. Each Bigfoot lists a challenge; complete it, snap a photo, and email the entry in for a raffle chance, with prizes like gift cards to downtown businesses. The current season’s dates, challenges, and prize list live on the event page.
The hunt is deliberate economic development in a costume: every cutout sends a family past a storefront they might never have noticed, and plenty of those strolls turn into a snack, a browse, or a purchase.
The year-round family
Between seasons, the mini-scavenger hunts keep the habit alive with rubber ducks and smaller hides, so downtown Rochester has a hunt running most of the year. New Bigfoot cutouts get repainted and refreshed each spring by the same volunteer crew.
Want to sponsor a Bigfoot or host a cutout outside your business? Send us a note and we’ll find you a cryptid.
Bigfoot Scavenger Hunt: your questions answered
Is the Bigfoot Scavenger Hunt free?
Yes, completely free for children and families of all ages. Local sponsors cover the cost, and challenges never require purchases.
What's the difference between this page and the event page?
This page covers the initiative: building, painting, and placing the Bigfoot family around downtown each year. The event page has the current season's dates, challenges, and raffle prizes.
More ongoing initiatives
Mini-Scavenger Hunts
Small free seasonal scavenger hunts, like rubber ducks hidden on benches, that give Rochester NH families a reason to explore downtown.
Central Square
Ongoing care and improvement of Central Square in Rochester NH: plantings, seasonal decor, the welcome sign, and upgrades to the stage.
Downtown Planters
Sponsored flower barrels and seasonal plantings along Main Street in Rochester NH, planted and tended by volunteers spring through fall.
